
Class 
Book. 



,X 85 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 025700 



The Bridge of Saragossa. 

Etching by Charles A. Piatt. 






•Knickerbocker lEDitfon 



Spanish Papers 



BY 

WASHINGTON IRVING 







G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
NEW YORK AND LONDON 






Copyright, 1895 

BY 

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 






Ube Tfcnfcfeerbocfeer press 

NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK 






<* 



- 



S I 



SPANISH PAPERS 



IRnicfcerbocfter jE&ftion 




preface b£ tbe JE&itor* 

A LIMITED edition of the Legends of 
the Conquest of Spain, with which 
this volume commences, was published 
in 1835. These legends, consisting of 
the *" Legend of Don Roderick,' ' the " Le- 
gend of the Subjugation of Spain," the "Le- 
gend of Count Julian and his Family,' ' formed 
No. III. of the Crayon Miscellany. For the 
chronicles which follow them, with the excep- 
tion of * " Abderahman " and f" Spanish 
Romance," which have appeared in the Knick- 
erbocker Magazine, T have drawn upon the 
unpublished manuscripts of Mr. Irving be- 
queathed to me by his will. This portion of 
the volume is illustrative of the wars between 
the Spaniards and the Moors, and consists of 
the * " Legend of Pelayo," the " Chronicle of 

* In the present edition these appear in the volume 
entitled Mahomet, Vol. III. 

t In the present edition this appears in Crayon 
Miscellanies, Vol. II. 



vi preface 



Count Fernan Gonzalez," the most illustrious 
hero of his epoch, who united the kingdoms 
of Leon and Castile; and the "Chronicle of 
Fernando the Saint," that renowned champion 
of the faith, under whom the greater part of 
Spain was rescued from the Moors. I have 
selected these themes from a mass of unpub- 
lished manuscript that came into my hands at 
the death of Mr. Irving, because they bore the 
impress of being most nearly, though not fully, 
prepared for the press, and because they had 
for him a special fascination, arising in part, 
perhaps, from his long residence in that ro- 
mantic country. " These old Morisco-Spanish 
subjects " — is the language of one of his pub- 
lished letters — "have a charm that makes 
me content to write about them at half price. 
They have so much that is high-minded, and 
chivalrous, and quaint, and picturesque, and 
at times half comic, about them. ,, 





preface* 



FEW events in history have been so original 
and striking in their main circumstances, 
and so overwhelming and enduring in 
their consequences, as that of the con- 
quest of Spain by the Saracens ; yet there are 
few where the motives, and characters, and ac- 
tions of the agents have been enveloped in more 
doubts and contradiction. As in the memor- 
able story of the " Fall of Troy," we have to 
make out, as well as we can, the veritable 
details through the mists of poetic fiction ; yet 
poetry has so combined itself with and lent 
its magic coloring to every fact, that to strip it 
away would be to reduce the story to a meagre 
skeleton and rob it of all its charms. The 
storm of Moslem invasion that swept so sud- 
denly over the peninsula silenced for a time 
the faint voice of the Muse, and drove the sons 
of learning from their cells. The pen was 
thrown aside to grasp the sword and spear, 



Vll 



viii preface 



and men were too much taken up with battling 
against the evils which beset them on every 
side, to find time or inclination to record them. 

When the nation had recovered in some 
degree from the effects of this astounding 
blow, or rather had become accustomed to the 
tremendous reverse which it produced, and 
sage men sought to inquire and write the 
particulars, it was too late to ascertain them in 
their exact verity. The gloom and melan- 
choly that had overshadowed the land had 
given birth to a thousand superstitious fancies ; 
the woes and terrors of the past were clothed 
with supernatural miracles and portents, and 
the actors in the fearful drama had already 
assumed the dubious characteristics of romance. 
Or if a writer from among the conquerors 
undertook to touch upon the theme, it was 
embellished with all the wild extravagances 
of an Oriental imagination, which afterwards 
stole into the graver works of the monkish 
historians. 

Hence, the earliest chronicles which treat of 
the downfall of Spain are apt to be tinctured 
with those saintly miracles which savor of the 
pious labors of the cloister, or those fanciful 
fictions that betray their Arabian authors. 
Yet from these apocryphal sources the most 
legitimate and accredited Spanish histories 



preface ix 



have taken their rise, as pure rivers may be 
traced up to the fens and mantled pools of a 
morass. It is true, the authors, with cautious 
discrimination, have discarded those particu- 
lars too startling for belief, and have culled 
only such as, from their probability and con- 
gruity, might be safely recorded as historical 
facts ; yet, scarce one of these but has been 
connected in the original with some romantic 
fiction, and even in its divorced state bears 
traces of its former alliance. 

To discard, how r ever, everything wild and 
marvellous in this portion of Spanish history, 
is to discard some of its most beautiful, in- 
structive, and national features ; it is to judge 
of Spain by the standard of probability suited 
to tamer and more prosaic countries. Spain is 
virtually a land of poetry and romance, where 
every-day life partakes of adventure, and 
where the least agitation or excitement carries 
everything up to extravagant enterprise and 
daring exploit. The Spaniards, in all ages, 
have been of swelling and braggart spirit, 
soaring in thought, pompous in word, and 
valiant, though vainglorious, in deed. Their 
heroic aims have transcended the cooler con- 
ceptions of their neighbors, and their reck- 
less daring has borne them on to achievements 
which prudent enterprise could never have 



pretace 



accomplished. Since the time, too, of the con- 
quest and occupation of their country by the 
Arabs, a strong infusion of Oriental magnifi- 
cence has entered into the national character, 
and rendered the Spaniard distinct from every 
other nation of Europe. 

In the following pages, therefore, the author 
has ventured to dip more deeply into the 
enchanted fountains of old Spanish chronicle 
than has usually been done by those who, in 
modern times, have treated of the eventful 
period of the Conquest ; but in so doing, he 
trusts he will illustrate more fully the charac- 
ter of the people and the times. He has 
thought proper to throw these records into 
the form of legends, not claiming for them 
the authenticity of sober history, yet giving 
nothing that has not historical foundation. 
All the facts herein contained, ^owever ex- 
travagant some of them may be deemed, will 
be found in the works of sage and reverend 
chroniclers of yore, growing side by side with 
long-acknowledged truths, and might be sup- 
ported by learned and imposing references in 
the margin. 




Contents. 

LEGEND OF THE SUBJUGATION OF SPAIN. 



Chap. I. — Consternation of Spain — Conduct of 
the Conquerors — Missives between Taric and 
Muza 

Chap. II. — Capture of Granada — Subjugation of 
the Alpuxarra Mountains .... 

Chap. III. — Expedition of Magued against Cor- 
dova — Defense of the Patriot Pelistes 



10 



19 



24 



3i 



Chap. IV. — Defense of the Convent of St. George 
by Pelistes 

Chap. V. — Meeting between the Patriot Pelistes 
and the Traitor Julian ..... 

Chap. VI. — How Taric el Tuerto Captured the 
City of Toledo through the Aid of the Jews, 
and how he Found the Famous Talismanic 
Table of Solomon 36 

Chap. VII. — Muza ben Nosier — His Entrance into 

Spain and Capture of Carmona . . .44 
xi 



xii Contents 



Chap. VIII.— Muza Marches against the City of 
Seville 50 

Chap. IX. — Muza Besieges the City of Merida . 53 

Chap. X. — Expedition of Abdalasis against Se- 
ville and the "Land of Tadmir" ... 63 

Chap. XI. — Muza Arrives at Toledo — Interview 

between him and Taric 74 

V 

Chap. XII.— Muza Prosecutes the Scheme of Con- 
quest — Siege of Saragossa — Complete Subju- 
gation of Spain ...... 80 

Chap. XIII. — Feud between the Arab Generals — 
They are Summoned to Appear before the 
Caliph at Damascus — Reception of Taric . 86 

Chap. XIV.— Muza Arrives at Damascus — His 
Interview with the Caliph — The Table of 
Solomon — A Rigorous Sentence . . -93 

Chap. XV. — Conduct of Abdalasis as Emir of 

Spain 98 

Chap. XVI. — Loves of Abdalasis and Exilon a . 104 

Chap. XVII. — Fate of Abdalasis and Exilon a — 

Death of Muza no 

LEGEND OF COUNT JULIAN AND 
HIS FAMILY. 

Legend of Count Julian and his Family . .117 

Note to the Preceding Legend .... 137 



Contents xiii 



CHRONICLE OF FERNAN GONZALEZ 
COUNT OF CASTILE. 

PAGE 

Introduction 141 

Chap. I. — Installation of Fernan Gonzalez as 
Count of Castile — His First Campaign against 
the Moors — Victory of San Quirce — How the 
Count Disposed of the Spoils .... 144 

Chap. II. — Of the Sally from Burgos, and sur- 
prise of the Castle of Lara — Capitulation of 
the Town — Visit to Alfonso the Great, King 
of Leon 150 

Chap. III. — Expedition against the Fortress of 
Mugnon — Desperate Defense of the Moors — 
Enterprise against Castro Xeriz . . .156 

Chap. IV.— How the Count of Castile and the 
King of Leon Made a Triumphant Foray into 
the Moorish Country — Capture of Salamanca 
—Of the Challenge Brought by the Herald, 
and of the Counts Defiance .... 159 

Chap. V. — A Night Assault upon the Castle of 
Carazo — The Moorish Maiden who Betrayed 
the Garrison 161 

Chap. VI. — Death of Alfonso, King of Leon — 
The Moors Determined to Strike a Fresh Blow 
at the Count, who Summons all Castile to his 
Standard — Of his Hunt in the Forest while 
Waiting for the Enemy, and of the Hermit 
that he Met with 166 

Chap. VII. —The Battle of the Ford of Cascajares, 172 

Chap. VIII. — Of the Message Sent by the Count 



xiv Contents 



PAGE 

to Sancho II. , King of Navarre, and the Reply 

— Their Encounter in Battle . . . .176 

Chap. IX.— How the Count of Toulouse Makes a 
Campaign against Castile, and how he Re- 
turns in his Coffin 181 

Chap. X. — How the Count Went to Receive the 
Hand of a Princess, and was Thrown into a 
Dungeon — Of the Stranger that Visited him 
in his Chains, and of the Appeal that he Made 
to the Princess for his Deliverance . . 186 

Chap. XI.— Of the Meditations of the Princess, 
and their Result — Her Flight from the Prison 
with the Count, and the Perils of the Escape 
— The Nuptials 191 

Chap. XII. — King Garcia Confined in Burgos by 
the Count — The Princess Intercedes for his 
Release 198 

Chap. XIII. — Of the Expedition against the An- 
cient City of Sylo — The Unwitting Trespass 
of the Count into a Convent, and his Com- 
punction thereupon 200 

Chap. XIV.— Of the Moorish Host that Came up 
from Cordova, and how the Count Repaired to 
the Hermitage of San Pedro, and Prayed for 
Success against them, and Received Assurance 
of Victory in a Vision — Battle of Hazinas . 203 

Chap. XV. — The Count Imprisoned by the King 
of Leon — The Countess Concerts his Escape 
— Leon and Castile United by the Marriage of 
the Prince Ordono with Urraca, the Daughter 
of the Count by his First Wife . . . 211 



Contents *v 



PAGE 

Chap. XVI.— Moorish Incursion into Castile — 
Battle of San Estevan — Of Pascual Vivas and 
the Miracle that Befell him— Death of Ordono 
III 217 

Chap. XVII.— King Sancho the Fat— Of the 
Homage he Exacted from Count Fernan 
Gonzalez, and of the Strange Bargain* that he 
Made with him for the Purchase of his Horse 
and Falcon 225 

Chap. XVIII. — Further of the Horse and Falcon, 230 

Chap. XIX.— The Last Campaign of Count Fer- 
nan — His Death 234 

CHRONICLE OF FERNANDO THE SAINT. 

Chap. I. — The Parentage of Fernando — Queen 
Berenguela — The Laras — Don Alvar Conceals 
the Death of King Henry — Mission of Queen 
Berenguela to Alfonso IX. — She Renounces 
the Crown of Castile in Favor of her Son 
Fernando 243 

Chap. II. — King Alfonso of Leon Ravages Castile 

— Captivity of Don Alvar — Death of the Laras 252 

Chap. III. — Marriage of King Fernando — Cam- 
paign against the Moors — Aben Mohamed, 
King of Baeza, Declares himself the Vassal 
of King Fernando — They March to Jaen — 
Burning of the Tower — Fernando Commences 
the Building of the Cathedral at Toledo . 260 

Chap. IV. — Assassination! of Aben Mohamed — 



xvi Contents 



PAGE 

His Head Carried as a Present to Abullale, 
the_Moorish King of Seville — Advance of the 
Christians into Andalusia — Abullale pur- 
chases a Truce . ...... 266 

Chap. V. — Aben Hud — Abullale Purchases An- 
other Year's Truce — Fernando Hears of the 
Death of his Father, the King of Leon, 
while Pressing the Siege of Jaen — He Be- 
comes Sovereign of the Two Kingdoms of 
Leon and Castile . . . . . .270 

Chap. VI. — Expedition of the Prince Alonso 
against the Moors — Encamps on the Banks 
of the Guadalete — Aben Hud Marches out 
from Xerez and Gives Battle — Prowess of 
Garcia Perez de Vargas — fight and Pursuit 
of the Moors — Miracle of the Blessed 
Santiago ........ 274 

Chap. VII. — A Bold Attempt upon Cordova, the 

Seat of Moorish Power 284 

Chap. VIII. — A Spy in the Christian Camp — 
Death of Aben Hud— A Vital Blow to Moslem 
Power — Surrender of Cordova to King 
Fernando 28S 

Chap. IX. — Marriage of King Fernando to the 
Princess Juana — Famine at Cordova — Don 
Alvar Perez ....... 297 

Chap. X.— Aben Alhamar, Founder of the Alham- 
bra — Fortifies Granada and Makes it his 
Capital — Attempts to Surprise the Castle of 
Martos — Peril of the Fortress — A Woman's 



Contents xvii 



PAGE 

Stratagem to Save it — Diego Perez, the 
Smasher — Death of Count Alvar Perez de 
Castro 301 

Chap. XI. — Aben Hudiel, the Moorish King of 
Murcia, Becomes the Vassal of King Fernando 
— Aben Alhamar Seeks to Drive the Chris- 
tians out of Andalusia — Fernando Takes the 
Field against him — Ravages of the King — 
His Last Meeting with the Queen-Mother . 308 

Chap. XII. — King Fernando's Expedition to An- 
dalusia — Siege 01 Jaen — Secret Departure of 
Aben Alhamar for the Christian Camp — He 
Acknowledges himself the Vassal of the King, 
who Enters Jaen in Triumph .... 318 

Chap. XIII. — Axataf, King of Seville, Exas- 
perated at the Submission of the King of 
Granada — Rejects the Propositions of King 
Fernando for a Truce — The Latter is En- 
couraged by a Vision to Undertake the Con- 
quest of the City of Seville — Death of Queen 
Berenguela — A Diplomatic Marriage . . 324 

Chap. XIV. — Investment of Seville — All Spain 
Aroused to Arms — Surrender of Alcala del Rio 
— The Fleet of Admiral Ramon Bonifaz Ad- 
vances up the Guadalquivir — Don Pelayo 
Correa, Master of Santiago — His Valorous 
Deeds aud the Miracles Wrought in his 
Behalf 330 

Chap. XV. — King Fernando Changes his Camp 

— Garci Perez and the Seven Moors . . 338 



xviii Contents 



PAGE 

Chap. XVI.— Of the Raft Built by the Moors, and 
how it was Boarded by Admiral Bonifaz — 
Destruction of the Moorish Fleet — Succor 
from Africa 345 

Chap. XVII.— Of the Stout Prior Ferran Ruyz, 
and how he Rescued his Cattle from the 
Moors — Further Enterprises of the Prior, and 
of the Ambuscade into which he Fell . . 349 

Chap. XVIII. — Bravado of the Three Cavaliers- 
Ambush at the Bridge over the Guadayra — 
Desperate Valor of Garci Perez — Grand 
Attempt of Admiral Bonifaz on the Bridge of 
Boats — Seville Dismembered from Triana . 354 

Chap. XIX. — Investment of Triana — Garci Perez 

and the Infanzon ...... 364 

Chap. XX. — Capitulation of Seville — Dispersion 
of the Moorish Inhabitants — Triumphant 
Entry of King Fernando .... 369 

Chap. XXI.— Death of King Fernando . . 376 




LEGEND 



OF 



THE SUBJUGATION OF SPAIN. 




LEGEND 

OF 

THE SUBJUGATION OF SPAIN/ 



Cbapter 1K 

Consternation of Spain — Conduct of the Conquerors 
— Missives between Taric and Muza. 

THE overthrow of King Roderick and his 
army on the banks of the Guadalete, 
threw open all southern Spain to the 
inroads of the Moslems. The whole 
country fled before them ; villages and hamlets 
were hastily abandoned ; the inhabitants placed 
their aged and infirm, their wives and children, 

* In this legend most of the facts respecting the 
Arab inroads into Spain are on the authority of Ara- 
bian writers, who had the most accurate means of in- 
formation. Those relative to the Spaniards are chiefly 
from old Spanish chronicles. It is to be remarked 



Spant6b papers 



and their most precious effects, on mules and 
other beasts of burden, and driving before 
them their flocks and herds, made for distant 
parts of the land, for the fastnesses of the 
mountains, and for such of the cities as yet 
possessed walls and bulwarks. Many gave 
out, faint and weary, by the way, and fell into 
the hands of the enemy ; others, at the distant 
sight of a turban or a Moslem standard, or on 
hearing the clangor of a trumpet, abandoned 
their flocks and herds and hastened their flight 
with their families. If their pursuers gained 
upon them, they threw by their household 
goods and whatever was of burden, and thought 
themselves fortunate to escape, naked and 
destitute, to a place of refuge. Thus the roads 
were covered with scattered flocks and herds, 
and with spoil of all kinds. 

The Arabs, however, were not guilty of 
wanton cruelty or ravage ; on the contrary, 
they conducted themselves with a moderation 
but seldom witnessed in more civilized con- 
querors. Taric el Tuerto, though a thorough 
man of the sword, and one whose whole 

that the Arab accounts have most the air of verity, 
and the events as they relate them are in the ordinary 
course of common life. The Spanish accounts, on the 
contrary, are full of the marvellous ; for there were 
no greater romancers than the monkish chroniclers. 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 5 

thoughts were warlike, yet evinced wonderful 
judgment and discretion. He checked the 
predatory habits of his troops with a rigorous 
hand. They were forbidden, under pain of 
severe punishment, to molest any peaceable 
and unfortified towns, or any unarmed and un- 
resisting people, who remained quiet in their 
homes. No spoil was permitted to be made, 
excepting in fields of battle, in camps of routed 
foes, or in cities taken by the sword. 

Taric had little need to exercise his severity ; 
his orders were obeyed through love, rather 
than fear, for he was the idol of his soldiery. 
They admired his restless and daring spirit, 
which nothing could dismay. His gaunt and 
sinewy form, his fiery eye, his visage seamed 
with scars, were suited to the hardihood of his 
deeds ; and when mounted on his foaming 
steed, careering the field of battle with quiver- 
ing lance or flashing scimitar, his Arabs would 
greet him with shouts of enthusiasm. But 
what endeared him to them more than all was 
his soldier-like contempt of gain. Conquest 
was his only passion : glory the only reward 
he coveted. As to the spoil of the conquered, 
he shared it freely among his followers, and 
squandered his own portion with open-handed 
generosity. 

While Taric was pushing his triumphant 



SpanfBb papers 



course through Andalusia, tidings of his stu- 
pendous victory on the banks of the Guadalete 
were carried to Muza ben Nosier. Messenger 
after messenger arrived, vying who should 
most extol the achievements of the conqueror 
and the grandeur of the conquest. "Taric," 
said they, 4 ' has overthrown the whole force 
of the unbelievers in one mighty battle. Their 
king is slain ; thousands and tens of thousands 
of their warriors are destroyed ; the whole land 
lies at our mercy ; and city after city is sur- 
rendering to the victorious arms of Taric." 

The heart of Muza ben Nosier sickened at 
these tidings, and, instead of rejoicing at the 
success of the cause of Islam, he trembled with 
jealous fear lest the triumphs of Taric in Spain 
should eclipse his own victories in Africa. He 
despatched missives to the Caliph Waled Alman- 
zor, informing him of these new conquests, but 
taking the whole glory to himself, and making 
no mention of the services of Taric ; or at least, 
only mentioning him incidentally as a subordi- 
nate commander. ' ' The battles, ' ' said he, 
" have been terrible as the day of judgment ; but 
by the aid of Allah we have gained the victory . ' ' 

He then prepared in all haste to cross over 
into Spain and assume the command of the 
conquering army ; and he wrote a letter in ad- 
vance to interrupt Taric in the midst of his 



ftbe Subjugation of Spain 7 

career. ' ' Wherever this letter may find thee, ' ' 
said he, " I charge thee halt with thy army 
and await my coming. Thy force is inadequate 
to the subjugation of the land, and by rashly 
venturing, thou maystlose everything. I will 
be with thee speedily, with a reinforcement of 
troops competent to so great an enterprise. ,, 

The letter overtook the veteran Taric while 
in the full glow of triumphant success, having 
overrun some of the richest part of Andalusia, 
and just received the surrender of the city of 
Ecija. As he read the letter the blood mantled 
in his sunburnt cheek and fire kindled in his 
eye, for he penetrated the motives of Muza. 
He suppressed his wrath, however, and turn- 
ing with a bitter expression of forced composure 
to his captains, " Unsaddle your steeds," said 
he, ' * and plant your lances in the earth ; set 
up your tents and take your repose, for we 
must await the coming of the Wali with a 
mighty force to assist us in our conquest." 

The Arab warriors broke forth with loud 
murmurs at these words. "What need have 
we of aid," cried they, "when the whole coun- 
try is flying before us ; and what better com- 
mander can we have than Taric to lead us on 
to victory ? ' ' 

Count Julian, also, who was present, now 
hastened to give his traitorous counsel. 



Spantsb papers 



"Why pause," cried he, "at this precious 
moment ? The great army of the Goths is van- 
quished, and their nobles are slaughtered or 
dispersed. Follow up your blow before the 
land can recover from its panic. Overrun the 
provinces, seize upon the cities, make yourself 
master of the capital, and your conquest is 
complete."* 

The advice of Julian was applauded by all 
the Arab chieftains, who were impatient of an}^ 
interruption in their career of conquest. Taric 
was easily persuaded to what was the wish of 
his heart. Disregarding the letter of Muza, 
therefore, he prepared to pursue his victories. 
For this purpose he ordered a review of his 
troops on the plain of Ecija. Some were 
mounted on steeds which they had brought 
from Africa ; the rest he supplied with horses 
taken from the Christians. He repeated his 
general orders, that they should inflict no wan- 
ton injury, nor plunder any place that offered 
no resistance. They were forbidden, also, to 
encumber themselves with booty, or even with 
provisions ; but were to scour the country with 
all speed, and seize upon all its fortresses and 
strongholds. 

He then divided his host into three several 
armies. One he placed under the command of 
* Conde, p. i, c. 10. 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain g 

the Greek renegado Magued el Rumi, a man of 
desperate courage ; and sent it against the 
ancient city of Cordova. Another was sent 
against the city of Malaga, and was led by Zayd 
ben Kesadi, aided by the Bishop Oppas. The 
third was led by Taric himself, and with this 
he determined to make a wide sweep through 
the kingdom.* 

* Cronica de Espana, de Alonzo el Sabio, p. 3, c. 1. 





Cbapter If. 

Capture of Granada — Subjugation of the Alpuxarra 
Mountains. 



THE terror of the arms of Taric ben Zeyad 
went before him ; and, at the same 
time, the report of his lenity to those 
who submitted without resistance. 
Wherever he appeared, the towns, for the most 
part, sent forth some of their principal inhabit- 
ants to proffer a surrender ; for they were des- 
titute of fortifications, and their fighting men 
had perished in battle. They were all received 
into allegiance to the Caliph, and were pro- 
tected from pillage or molestation. 

After marching some distance through the 
country, he entered one day a vast and beauti- 
ful plain, interspersed with villages, adorned 
with groves and gardens, watered by winding 
rivers, and surrounded by lofty mountains. It 
was the famous vega, or plain of Granada, des- 
tined to be for ages the favorite abode of the 



IO 



JLhe Subjugation of Spain n 

Moslems. When the Arab conquerors beheld 
this delicious vega, they were lost in admira- 
tion ; for it seemed as if the Prophet had given 
them a paradise on earth, as a reward for their 
services in his cause. 

Taric approached the city of Granada, which 
had a formidable aspect, seated on lofty hills 
and fortified with Gothic walls and towers, and 
with the red castle or citadel, built in times of 
old by the Phoenicians or the Romans. As the 
Arab chieftain eyed the place, he was pleased 
with its stern warrior look, contrasting with 
the smiling beauty of its vega, and the fresh- 
ness and voluptuous abundance of its hills and 
valleys. He pitched his tents before its walls, 
and made preparations to attack it with all his 
force. 

The city, however, bore but the semblance 
of power. The flower of its youth had per- 
ished in the battle of the Guadalete ; many of 
the principal inhabitants had fled to the moun- 
tains, and few remained in the city excepting 
old men, women, and children, and a number 
of Jews, which last were well disposed to take 
part with the conquerors. The city, therefore, 
readily capitulated, and was received into vas- 
salage on favorable terms. The inhabitants 
were to retain their property, their laws, and 
their religion ; their churches and priests were 



i2 Spanteb papers 



to be respected ; and no other tribute was re- 
quired of them than such as they had been ac- 
customed to pay to their Gothic kings. 

On taking possession of Granada, Taric 
garrisoned the towers and castles, and left as 
alcayde or governor a chosen warrior named 
Betiz Aben Habuz, a native of Arabia Felix, 
who had distinguished himself by his valor 
and abilities. This alcayde subsequently made 
himself king of Granada, and built a palace on 
one of its hills ; the remains of which may be 
seen at the present day.* 

* The house shown as the ancient residence of Aben 
Habuz is called la Casa del Gallo, or the house of the 
weathercock ; so named, says Pedraza, in his history 
of Granada, from a bronze figure of an Arab horse- 
man, armed with lance and buckler, which once sur- 
mounted it, and which varied with every wind. On 
this warlike weathercock was inscribed, in Arabic 
characters, — 

4i Dice el sabio Aben Habuz 
Que asi se defiende el Andaluz." 

(In this way, says Aben Habuz the Wise, 
The Andalusian his foe defies.) 

The Casa del Gallo, even until within twenty years, 
possessed two great halls beautifully decorated with 
morisco reliefs. It then caught fire and was so dam- 
aged as to require to be nearly rebuilt. It is now a 
manufactory of coarse canvas, and has nothing of the 
Moorish character remaining. It commands a beauti- 
ful view of the city and the vega. 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 13 

Even the delights of Granada had no power 
to detain the active and ardent Taric. To the 
east of the city he beheld a lofty chain of 
mountains, towering to the sky, and crowned 
with shining snow. These were the " Moun- 
tains of the Sun and Air ' ' ; and the perpetual 
snows on their summits gave birth to streams 
that fertilized the plains. In their bosoms, 
shut up among cliffs and precipices, were many 
small valleys of great beauty and abundance. 
The inhabitants were a bold and hardy race, 
who looked upon their mountains as everlast- 
ing fortresses that could never be taken. The 
inhabitants of the surrounding country had 
fled to these natural fastnesses for refuge, and 
driven thither their flocks and herds. 

Taric felt that the dominion he had acquired 
of the plains would be insecure until he had 
penetrated and subdued these haughty moun- 
tains. Leaving Aben Habuz, therefore, in 
command of Granada, he marched with his 
army across the vega, and entered the folds of 
the sierra, which stretch towards the south. 
The inhabitants fled with affright on hearing 
the Moorish trumpets, or beholding the ap- 
proach of the turbaned horsemen, and plunged 
deeper into the recesses of their mountains. 
As the army advanced, the roads became more 
and more rugged and difficult ; sometimes 



i4 Spanisb papers 



climbing great rocky heights, and at other 
times descending abruptly into deep ravines, 
the beds of winter torrents. The mountains 
were strangely wild and sterile ; broken into 
cliffs and precipices of variegated marble. At 
their feet were little valleys, enamelled with 
groves and gardens, interlaced with silver 
streams, and studded with villages and ham- 
lets — but all deserted by their inhabitants. No 
one appeared to dispute the inroad of the Mos- 
lems, who continued their march with increas- 
ing confidence, their pennons fluttering from 
rock and cliff, and the valleys echoing to the 
din of trumpet, drum, and cymbal. At length 
they came to a defile where the mountains 
seemed to have been rent asunder to make way 
for a foaming torrent. The narrow and broken 
road wound along the dizzy edge of precipices, 
until it came to where a bridge was thrown 
across the chasm. It was a fearful and gloomy 
pass ; great beetling cliffs overhung the road, 
and the torrent roared below. This awful de- 
file has ever been famous in the warlike his- 
tory of those mountains, by the name, in former 
times, of the Barranco de Tocos, and at pres- 
ent of the Bridge of Tablete. The Saracen 
army entered fearlessly into the pass ; a part 
had already crossed the bridge, and was slowly 
toiling up the rugged road on the opposite side, 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 15 

when great shouts arose, and every cliff ap- 
peared suddenly peopled with furious foes. In 
an instant a deluge of missiles of every sort 
was rained upon the astonished Moslems. 
Darts, arrows, javelins, and stones, came whis- 
tling down, singling out the most conspicuous 
cavaliers ; and at times great masses of rock, 
bounding and thundering along the mountain 
side, crushed whole ranks at once, or hurled 
horses and riders over the edge of the preci- 
pices. 

It was in vain to attempt to brave this moun- 
tain warfare. The enemy were beyond the 
reach of missiles, and safe from pursuit ; and 
the horses of the Arabs were here an incum- 
brance rather than an aid. The trumpets 
sounded a retreat, and the army retired in tu- 
mult and confusion, harassed by the enemy 
until extricated from the defile. Taric, who 
had beheld cities and castles surrendering with- 
out a blow, was enraged at being braved by a 
mere horde of mountain boors, and made 
another attempt to penetrate the mountains, 
but was again waylaid and opposed with 
horrible slaughter. 

The fiery son of Ishmael foamed with rage 
at being thus checked in his career and foiled 
in his revenge. He was on the point of aban- 
doning the attempt, and returning to the vega, 



16 Spanfsb papers 



when a Christian boor sought his camp, and 
was admitted to his presence. The miserable 
wretch possessed a cabin and a little patch of 
ground among the mountains, and offered, if 
these should be protected from ravage, to in- 
form the Arab commander of a way by which 
troops of horse might be safely introduced into 
the bosom of the sierra, and the whole sub- 
dued. The name of this caitiff w r as Fandino, 
and it deserves to be perpetually recorded with 
ignominy. His case is an instance how much 
it is in the power, at times, of the most insig- 
nificant being to do mischief, and how all the 
valor of the magnanimous and the brave may 
be defeated by the treason of the selfish and 
the despicable. 

Instructed by this traitor, the Arab com- 
mander caused ten thousand foot-soldiers and 
four thousand horsemen, commanded by a val- 
iant captain, named Ibrahim Albuxarra, to be 
conveyed by sea to the little port of Adra, at 
the Mediterranean foot of the mountains. 
Here they landed, and, guided by the traitor, 
penetrated to the heart of the sierra, laying 
everything waste. The brave mountaineers, 
thus hemmed in between two armies, destitute 
of fortresses and without hope of succor, were 
obliged to capitulate ; but their valor was not 
without avail, for never, even in Spain, did 



Zbc Subjugation of Spain 17 

vanquished people surrender on prouder or 
more honorable terms. We have named the 
wretch who betrayed his native mountains ; let 
us equally record the name of him whose pious 
patriotism saved them from desolation. It was 
the reverend Bishop Centerio. While the war- 
riors rested on their arms in grim and mena- 
cing tranquillity among the cliffs, this venerable 
prelate descended to the Arab tents in the val- 
ley, to conduct the capitulation. In stipulating 
for the safety of his people, he did not forget 
that they were brave men, and that they still 
had weapons in their hands. He obtained 
conditions accordingly. It was agreed that 
they should be permitted to retain their houses, 
lands, and personal effects ; that they should be 
unmolested in their religion, and their temples 
and priests respected ; and that they should pay 
no other tribute than such as they had been ac- 
customed to render to their kings. Should they 
prefer to leave the country and remove to any 
part of Christendom, they were to be allowed 
to sell their possessions, and to take with them 
the money, and all their other effects.* 

Ibrahim Albuxarra remained in command 
of the territory, and the whole sierra, or chain 
of mountains, took his name, which has since 

* Pedraza, Hist. Granad., p. 3. c. 2. Bleda, Crou- 
ica y Iv. 2, c, 10. 



i8 



Spanisb ipapeus 



been slightly corrupted into that of the Alpux- 
arras. The subjugation of this rugged region, 
however, was for a long time incomplete ; 
many of the Christians maintained a wild and 
hostile independence, living in green glens 
and scanty valleys among the heights ; and the 
sierra of the Alpuxarras has in all ages been 
one of the most difficult parts of Andalusia to 
be subdued. 





Cbapter MIL 

Expedition of Magued against Cordova — Defense of 
the Patriot Pelistes. 

WHIIyE the veteran Taric was making 
this wide circuit through the land, 
the expedition under Magued the 
renegado proceeded against the city 
of Cordova. The inhabitants of that ancient 
place had beheld the great army of Don Rod- 
erick spreading like an inundation over the 
plain of the Guadalquivir, and had felt confi- 
dent that it must sweep the infidel invaders 
from the land. What then was their dismay 
when scattered fugitives, wild with horror and 
affright, brought them tidings of the entire 
overthrow of that mighty host, and the disap- 
pearance of the king ! In the midst of their 
consternation, the Gothic noble Pelistes arrived 
at their gates, haggard with fatigue of body 
and anguish of mind, and leading a remnant 
of his devoted cavaliers, who had survived the 

19 



20 Spanisb papers 



dreadful battle of the Guadalete. The people 
of Cordova knew the valiant and steadfast 
spirit of Pelistes, and rallied round him as a 
last hope. ''Roderick is fallen," cried they, 
1 ' and we have neither king nor captain ; be 
unto us as a sovereign ; take command of our 
city, and protect us in this hour of peril ! ' ' 

The heart of Pelistes was free from ambi- 
tion, and was too much broken by grief to be 
flattered by the offer of command ; but he felt 
above everything for the woes of his country, 
and was ready to assume any desperate service 
in her cause. " Your city," said he, " is sur- 
rounded by walls and towers, and may yet 
check the progress of the foe. Promise to 
stand by me to the last, and I will undertake 
your defense." The inhabitants all promised 
implicit obedience and devoted zeal ; for what 
will not the inhabitants of a wealthy city 
promise and profess in a moment of alarm? 
The instant, however, that they heard of the 
approach of the Moslem troops, the wealthier 
citizens packed up their effects and fled to the 
mountains, or to the distant city of Toledo. 
Even the monks collected the riches of their 
convents and churches, and fled. Pelistes, 
though he saw himself thus deserted by those 
who had the greatest interest in the safety of 
the city, yet determined not to abandon its de- 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 21 

fense. He had still his faithful though scanty 
band of cavaliers, and a number of fugitives 
of the army, in all amounting to about four 
hundred men. He stationed guards, therefore, 
at the gates and in the towers, and made every 
preparation for a desperate resistance. 

In the meantime, the army of Moslems and 
apostate Christians advanced, under the com- 
mand of the Greek renegado Magued, and 
guided by the traitor Julian. While they were 
yet at some distance from the city, their scouts 
brought to them a shepherd, whom they had 
surprised on the banks of the Guadalquivir. 
The trembling hind was an inhabitant of Cor- 
dova, and revealed to them the state of the 
place and the weakness of its garrison. 

"And the walls and gates," said Magued, 
" are they strong and well guarded? " 

i ' The walls are high and of wondrous 
strength," replied the shepherd, " and soldiers 
hold watch at the gates by day and night. 
But there is one place where the city may 
be secretly entered. In a part of the wall, 
not far from the bridge, the battlements are 
broken, and there is a breach at some height 
from the ground. Hard by stands a fig-tree, 
by the aid of which the wall may easily be 
scaled." 

Having received this information, Magued 



22 Spanieb papers 



halted with his army, and sent forward several 
renegado Christians, partisans of Count Julian, 
who entered* Cordova as if flying before the 
enemy. On a dark and tempestuous night, 
the Moslems approached to the end of the 
bridge which crosses the Guadalquivir, and 
remained in ambush. Magued took a small 
party of chosen men, and guided by the shep- 
herd, forded the stream, and groped silently 
along the wall to the place where stood the fig- 
tree. The traitors, who had fraudulently en- 
tered the city, were ready on the wall to render 
assistance. Magued ordered his followers to 
make use of the long folds of their turbans 
instead of cords, and succeeded without diffi- 
culty in clambering into the breach. 

Drawing their scimitars, they now hastened 
to the gate which opened towards the bridge ; 
the guards, suspecting no assault from within, 
were taken by surprise and easily overpowered ; 
the gate was thrown open, and the army that 
had remained in ambush rushed over the 
bridge, and entered without opposition. 

The alarm had by this time spread through- 
out the city ; but already a torrent of armed 
men was pouring through the streets. Pelistes 
sallied forth with his cavaliers and such of the 
soldiery as he could collect, and endeavored to 
repel the foe ; but every effort was in vain. 



ftbe Subjugation of Spain 23 

The Christians were slowly driven from street 
to street and square to square, disputing every 
inch of ground ; until, finding another body of 
the enemy approaching to attack them in rear, 
they took refuge in a convent, and succeeded in 
throwing to and barring the ponderous doors. 
The Moors attempted to force the gates, but 
were assailed with such showers of missiles 
from the windows and battlements that they 
were obliged to retire. Pelistes examined the 
convent, and found it admirably calculated for 
defense. It was of great extent, with spacious 
courts and cloisters. The gates were massive, 
and secured with bolts and bars ; the walls 
were of great thickness ; the windows high and 
grated ; there was a great tank or cistern of 
water, and the friars, who had fled from the 
city, had left behind a good supply of provisions. 
Here, then, Pelistes proposed to make a stand, 
and to endeavor to hold out until succor should 
arrive from some other city. His proposition 
was received with shouts by his loyal cavaliers, 
not one of whom but was ready to lay down 
his life in the service of his commander. 




Cbapter TO. 

Defense of the Convent of St. George by Pelistes. 

FOR three long and anxious months did 
the good knight Pelistes and his caval- 
iers defend their sacred asylum against 
the repeated assaults of the infidels. 
The standard of the true faith was constantly 
'displayed from the loftiest tower, and a fire 
blazed there throughout the night, as signals 
of distress to the surrounding country. The 
watchman from his turret kept a wary lookout 
over the land, hoping in every cloud of dust to 
descry the glittering helms of Christian war- 
riors. The country, however, was forlorn and 
abandoned, or if perchance a human being was 
perceived, it was some Arab horseman, career- 
ing the plain of the Guadalquivir as fearlessly 
as if it were his native desert. 

By degrees the provisions of the convent 
were consumed, and the cavaliers had to slay 
their horses, one by one, for food. They suf- 

24 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 25 

fered the wasting miseries of famine without a 
murmur, and always met their commander 
with a smile. Pelistes, however, read their 
sufferings in their wan and emaciated counte- 
nances, and felt more for them than for himself. 
He was grieved at heart that such loyalty and 
valor should only lead to slavery or death, and 
resolved to make one desperate attempt for 
their deliverance. Assembling them one day 
in the court of the convent, he disclosed to 
them his purpose. 

" Comrades and brothers in arms," said he, 
" it is needless to conceal danger from brave 
men. Our case is desperate ; our countrymen 
either know not or heed not our situation, or 
have not the means to help us. There is but 
one chance of escape ; it is full of peril, and, as 
your leader, I claim the right to brave it. To- 
morrow, at break of day, I w 7 ill sally forth and 
make for the city gates at the moment of their 
being opened ; no one will suspect a solitary 
horseman ; I shall be taken for one of those 
recreant Christians who have basely mingled 
with the enemy. If I succeed in getting out 
of the city I will hasten to Toledo for as- 
sistance. In all events I shall be back in less 
than twenty days. Keep a vigilant lookout 
toward the nearest mountain. If you behold 
five lights blazing upon its summit, be assured 



26 Spanteb ipapers 



I am at hand with succor, and prepare your- 
selves to sally forth upon the city as I attack 
the gates. Should I fail in obtaining aid, I 
will return to die with you." 

When he had finished, his warriors would 
fain have severally undertaken the enterprise, 
and they remonstrated against his exposing 
himself to such peril ; but he was not to be 
shaken from his purpose. On the following 
morning, ere the break of day, his horse was 
led forth, caparisoned, into the court of the 
convent, and Pelistes appeared in complete 
armor. Assembling his cavaliers in the chapel, 
he prayed with them for some time before the 
altar of the Holy Virgin. Then rising and 
standing in the midst of them, " God knows, 
my companions," said he, " whether we have 
any longer a country ; if not, better were we 
in our graves. I^oyal and true have ye been 
to me, and loyal have ye been to my 
son, even to the hour of his death ; and 
grieved am I that I have no other means of 
proving my love for you, than by adventuring 
my worthless life for your deliverance. All I 
ask of you before I go, is a solemn promise to 
defend yourselves to the last like brave men 
and Christian cavaliers, and never to renounce 
your faith, or throw yourselves on the mercy 
of the renegado Magued, or the traitor Julian. ' ' 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 27 

They all pledged their words, and took a sol- 
emn oath to the same effect before the altar. 

Pelistes then embraced them one by one, and 
gave them his benediction, and as he did so 
his heart yearned over them, for he felt to- 
wards them, not merely as a companion in 
arms and as a commander, but as a father ; 
and he took leave of them as if he had been 
going to his death. The warriors, on their 
part, crowded round him in silence, kissing 
his hands and the hem of his surcoat, and 
many of the sternest shed tears. 

The gray of the dawning had just streaked 
the east, when Pelistes took lance in hand, 
hung his shield about his neck, and mounting 
his steed, issued quietly forth from a postern 
of the convent. He paced slowly through the 
vacant streets, and the tramp of his steed 
echoed afar in that silent hour ; but no one 
suspected a warrior, moving thus singly and 
tranquilly in an armed city, to be an enemy. 
He arrived at the gate just at the hour of open- 
ing ; a foraging party was entering with cattle 
and with beasts of burden, and he passed un- 
heeded through the throng. As soon as he 
was out of sight of the soldiers who guarded 
the gate, he quickened his pace, and at length, 
galloping at full speed, succeeded in gaining 
the mountains. Here he paused, and alighted 



28 Spantsb papers 



at a solitary farmhouse to breathe his panting 
steed ; but he had scarce put foot to ground 
when he heard the distant sound of pursuit, 
and beheld a horseman spurring up the moun- 
tain. 

Throwing himself again upon his steed, he 
abandoned the road and galloped across the 
rugged heights. The deep dry channel of a 
torrent checked his career, and his horse stum- 
bling upon the margin, rolled with his rider to 
the bottom. Pelistes was sorely bruised by 
the fall, and his whole visage was bathed in 
blood. His horse, too, was maimed and un- 
able to stand, so that there was no hope of 
escape. The enemy drew near, and proved to 
be no other than Magued the renegado general, 
who had perceived him as he issued forth from 
the city and had followed singly in pursuit. 
* * Well met, sefior alcaid ! ' ' exclaimed he, 
" and overtaken in good time. Surrender 
yourself my prisoner.' ' 

Pelistes made no other reply than by draw- 
ing his sword, bracing his shield, and prepar- 
ing for defense. Magued, though an apostate, 
and a fierce warrior, possessed some sparks 
of knightly magnanimity. Seeing his adver- 
sary dismounted, he disdained to take him at a 
disadvantage, but, alighting, tied his horse to 
a tree. 



Zbc Subjugation of Spain 29 

The conflict that ensued was desperate and 
doubtful, for seldom had two warriors met so 
well matched or of equal prowess. Their 
shields were hacked to pieces, the ground 
was strewed with fragments of their armor, 
and stained with their blood. They paused 
repeatedly to take breath, regarding each 
other with wonder and admiration. Pelistes, 
however, had been previously injured by his 
fall, and fought to great disadvantage. The 
renegado perceived it, and sought not to slay 
him, but to take him alive. Shifting his 
ground continually, he wearied his antagonist, 
who was growing weaker and weaker from 
the loss of blood. At length Pelistes seemed 
to summon up all his remaining strength to 
make a signal blow ; it was skilfully parried, 
and he fell prostrated upon the ground. The 
renegado ran up, and putting his foot upon 
his sword, and the point of his scimitar to his 
throat, called upon him to ask his life ; but 
Pelistes lay without sense, and as one dead. 
Magued then unlaced the helmet of his van- 
quished enemy, and seated himself on a rock 
beside him, to recover breath. In this situa- 
tion the warriors were found by certain Moor- 
ish cavaliers, who marvelled much at the traces 
of that stern and bloody combat. 

Finding there was yet life in the Christian 



3o Spantsb papers 



knight, they laid him upon one of their horses, 
and aiding Magued to remount his steed, pro- 
ceeded slowly to the city. As the convoy 
passed by the convent, the cavaliers looked 
forth and beheld their commander borne along 
bleeding and a captive. Furious at the sight, 
they sallied forth to the rescue, but were re- 
pulsed by a superior force and driven back to 
the great portal of the church. The enemy 
entered pell-mell with them, fighting from 
aisle to aisle, from altar to altar, and in the 
courts and cloisters of the convent. The 
greater part of the cavaliers died bravely, 
sword in hand ; the rest were disabled with 
wounds and made prisoners. The convent, 
which was lately their castle, was now made 
their prison, and in after-times, in commemora- 
tion of this event, was consecrated by the 
name of St. George of the Captives. 











Cfoapter ID* 

Meeting between the Patriot Pelistes and the Traitor 

Julian. 

THK loyalty and prowess of the good 
knight Pelistes had gained him the 
reverence even of his enemies. He 
was for a long time disabled by his 
wounds, during which he was kindly treated 
by the Arab chieftains, who strove by every 
courteous means to cheer his sadness and make 
him forget that he was a captive. When he 
was recovered from his wounds they gave him 
a magnificent banquet, to testify their admira- 
tion of his virtues. 

Pelistes appeared at the banquet clad in 
sable armor, and with a countenance pale and 
dejected, for the ills of his country evermore 
preyed upon his heart. Among the assembled 
guests was Count Julian, who held a high 
command in the Moslem army, and was ar- 
rayed in garments of mingled Christian and 

31 



32 Spanish papers 



morisco fashion. Pelistes had been a close and 
bosom friend of Julian in former times, and had 
served with him in the wars in Africa, but 
when the count advanced to accost him with 
his wonted amity, he turned away in silence 
and deigned not to notice him ; neither, dur- 
ing the whole of the repast, did he address to 
him ever a word, but treated him as one un- 
known. 

When the banquet was nearly at a close, the 
discourse turned upon the events of the war, 
and the Moslem chieftains, in great courtesy, 
dwelt upon the merits of many of the Christian 
cavaliers who had fallen in battle, and all ex- 
tolled the valor of those who had recently per- 
ished in the defense of the convent. Pelistes 
remained silent for a time, and checked the 
grief which swelled within his bosom as he 
thought of his devoted cavaliers. At length, 
lifting up his voice, " Happy are the dead," 
said he, " for they rest in peace, and are gone to 
receive the reward of their piety and valor ! I 
could mourn over the loss of my companions 
in arms, but they have fallen with honor and 
are spared the wretchedness I feel in witness- 
ing the thraldom of my country. I have seen 
my only son, the pride and hope of my age, cut 
down at my side ; I have beheld kindred, 
friends, and followers falling one by one around 



XLbc Subjugation ot Spain 33 

me, and have become so seasoned to those 
losses that I have ceased to weep. Yet there 
is one man over whose loss I will never cease to 
grieve. He was the loved companion of my 
youth, and the steadfast associate of my graver 
years. He was one of the most loyal of Chris- 
tian knights. As a friend, he w T as loving and 
sincere ; as a warrior, his achievements were 
above all praise. What has become of him, 
alas, I know not ! If fallen in battle, and I 
knew where his bones were laid, whether 
bleaching on the plains of Xeres or buried in 
the waters of the Guadalete, I would seek them 
out and enshrine them as the relics of a sainted 
patriot. Or if, like many of his companions 
in arms, he should be driven to wander in 
foreign lands, I would join him in his hapless 
exile, and we would mourn together over the 
desolation of our country ! ' ' 

Even the hearts of the Arab warriors were 
touched by the lament of the good Pelistes, and 
they said : * ' Who was this peerless friend in 
whose praise thou art so fervent ? ' ' 

"His name," replied Pelistes, "was Count 
Julian.' ' 

The Moslem warriors started with surprise. 
" Noble cavalier," exclaimed they, " has grief 
disordered thy senses ? Behold thy friend liv- 
ing and standing before thee, and yet thou 



34 Spanish papers 



dost not know him? This, this is Count 
Julian !" 

Upon this, Pelistes turned his eyes upon the 
count, and regarded him for a time with a lofty 
and stern demeanor ; and the countenance of 
Julian darkened, and was troubled, and his 
eye sank beneath the regard of that loyal and 
honorable cavalier. And Pelistes said, "in 
the name of God, I charge thee, man un- 
known ! to answer. Dost thou presume to 
call thyself Count Julian ? ' ' 

The count reddened with anger at these 
words. " Pelistes,' ' said he, "what means 
this mockery ? thou knowest me well ; thou 
knowest me for Count Julian." 

"I know thee for a base impostor !" cried 
Pelistes. * ' Count Julian was a noble Gothic 
knight ; but thou appearest in mongrel Moor- 
ish garb. Count Julian was a Christian, faith- 
ful and devout ; but I behold in thee a renegado 
and an infidel. Count Julian was ever loyal to 
his king, and foremost in his country's cause ; 
were he living, he would be the first to put 
shield on neck and lance in rest, to clear the 
land of her invaders ; but thou art a hoary 
traitor ; thy hands are stained with the royal 
blood of the Goths, and thou hast betrayed 
thy country and thy God. Therefore, I again 
repeat, man unknown ! if thou say est thou art 



XLbc Subjugation of Spain 



35 



Count Julian, thou liest ! My friend, alas, is 
dead ; and thou art some fiend from hell, which 
hast taken possession of his body to dishonor 
his memory and render him an abhorrence 
among men ! ' ' So saying, Pelistes turned his 
back upon the traitor, and went forth from the 
banquet ; leaving Count Julian overwhelmed 
with confusion, and an object of scorn to all 
the Moslem cavaliers. 





Cbapter FIT. 

How Taric el Tuerto Captured the City of Toledo 
through the Aid of the Jews, and how he Found the 
Famous Talismanic Table of Solomon. 



WHIIyK these events were passing in 
Cordova, the one-eyed Arab gen- 
eral, Taric el Tuerto, having sub- 
dued the city and vega of Granada, 
and the Mountains of the Sun and Air, directed 
his march into the interior of the kingdom, to 
attack the ancient city of Toledo, the capital 
of the Gothic kings. So great was the terror 
caused by the rapid conquests of the invaders, 
that at the very rumor of their approach many 
of the inhabitants, though thus in the very 
citadel of the kingdom, abandoned it and fled 
to the mountains with their families. Enough 
remained, however, to have made a formidable 
defense ; and, as the city was seated on a 
lofty rock, surrounded by massive walls and 
towers, and almost girdled by the Tagus, it 

36 






Zbc Subjugation of Spain 37 

threatened a long resistance. The Arab warriors 
pitched their tents in the vega, on the borders 
of the river, and prepared for a tedious siege. 

One evening, as Taric was seated in his 
tent, meditating on the mode in which he 
should assail this rock-built city, certain of 
the patrols of the camp brought a stranger be- 
fore him. " As we were going our rounds/' 
said they, " we beheld this man lowered down 
with cords from a tower, and he delivered him- 
self into our hands, praying to be conducted to 
thy presence, that he might reveal to thee 
certain things important for thee to know." 

Taric fixed his eye upon the stranger ; he 
was a Jewish rabbi, with a long beard which 
spread upon his gabardine, and descended 
even to his girdle. ' ' What hast thou to re- 
veal ? " said he to the Israelite. "What I 
have to reveal,' ' replied the other, " is for thee 
alone to hear ; command, then, I entreat thee, 
that these men withdraw." When they were 
alone he addressed Taric in Arabic : ' ' Know, 

leader of the host of Islam," said he, " that 

1 am sent to thee on the part of the children 
of Israel, resident in Toledo. We have been 
oppressed and insulted by the Christians in the 
time of their prosperity, and now that they 
are threatened with siege, they have taken 
from us all our provisions and our money ; 



38 Spantsb papers 



they have compelled us to work like slaves, 
repairing their walls ; and they oblige us to 
bear arms and guard a part of the towers. 
We abhor their yoke, and are ready, if thou 
wilt receive us as subjects, and permit us the 
free enjoyment of our religion and our property, 
to deliver the towers we guard into thy hands, 
and to give thee safe entrance into the city." 

The Arab chief was overjoyed at this propo- 
sition, and he rendered much honor to the 
rabbi, and gave orders to clothe him in a costly 
robe, and to perfume his beard with essences 
of a pleasant odor, so that he was the most 
sweet-smelling of his tribe ; and he said : 
1 ' Make thy words good, and put me in posses- 
sion of the city, and I will do all and more 
than thou hast required, and will bestow count- 
less wealth upon thee and thy brethren.' ' 

Then a plan was devised between them by 
which the city was to be betrayed and given 
up. "But how shall I be secured, " said he, 
"that all thy tribe will fulfil what thou hast 
engaged, and that this is not a stratagem to 
get me and my people into your power ? ' ' 

" This shall be thy assurance," replied the 
rabbi ; ' ' ten of the principal Israelites will 
come to this tent and remain as hostages." 

"It is enough," said Taric ; and he made 
oath to accomplish all that he had promised ; 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 39 

and the Jewish hostages came and delivered 
themselves into his hands. 

On a dark night a chosen band of Moslem 
warriors approached the part of the walls 
guarded by the Jews, and were secretly ad- 
mitted into a postern gate and concealed 
within a tower. Three thousand Arabs were 
at the same time placed in ambush among 
rocks and thickets, in a place on the opposite 
side of the river, commanding a view of the 
city. On the following morning Taric ravaged 
the gardens of the valley, and set fire to the 
farmhouses, and then, breaking up his camp, 
marched off as if abandoning the siege. 

The people of Toledo gazed with astonish- 
ment from their walls at the retiring squadrons 
of the enemy, and scarcely could credit their 
unexpected deliverance ; before night there 
was not a turban nor a hostile lance to be seen 
in the vega. They attributed it all to the 
special intervention of their patron saint, I,eo- 
cadia ; and the following day being Palm 
Sunday, they sallied forth in procession, man, 
woman, and child, to the church of that blessed 
saint, which is situated without the walls, that 
they might return thanks for her marvellous 
protection. 

When all Toledo had thus poured itself 
forth, and was marching with cross and relic 



40 Spanisb papers 



and solemn chant towards the chapel, the 
Arabs who had been concealed in the tower 
rushed forth, and barred the gates of the city. 
While some guarded the gates, others dispersed 
themselves about the streets, slaying all who 
made resistance ; and others kindled a fire and 
made a column of smoke on the top of the 
citadel. At sight of this signal, the Arabs in 
ambush be}^ond the river rose with a great 
shout, and attacked the multitude who were 
thronging to the church of St. L,eocadia. 
There was a great massacre, although the peo- 
ple were without arms and made no resistance; 
and it is said in ancient chronicles that it was 
the apostate Bishop Oppas who guided the 
Moslems to their prey, and incited them to 
this slaughter. The pious reader, says Fray 
Antonio Agapida, will be slow to believe such 
turpitude ; but there is nothing more venomous 
than the rancor of an apostate priest ; for the 
best things in this world, when corrupted, be- 
come the worst and most baneful. 

Many of the Christians had taken refuge 
within the church, and had barred the doors, 
but Oppas commanded that fire should be set 
to the portals, threatening to put every one 
within to the sword. Happily the veteran 
Taric arrived just in time to stay the fury of 
this reverend renegado. He ordered the trum- 



Ubc Subjugation of Spain 41 

pets to call off the troops from the carnage, 
and extended grace to all the surviving inhab- 
itants. They were permitted to remain in 
quiet possession of their homes and effects, 
paying only a moderate tribute ; and they 
were allowed to exercise the rights of their 
religion in the existing churches, to the num- 
ber of seven, but were prohibited from erecting 
any others. Those who preferred to leave the 
city were suffered to depart in safety, but not 
to take with them any of their wealth. 

Immense spoil was found by Taric in the 
alcazar, or royal castle, situated on a rocky 
eminence in the highest part of the city. 
Among the regalia treasured up in a secret 
chamber were twenty-five regal crowns of fine 
gold, garnished with jacinths, amethysts, dia- 
monds, and other precious stones. These 
were the crowns of the different Gothic kings 
who had reigned in Spain ; it having been the 
usage on the death of each king to deposit his 
crown in this treasury, inscribing on it his 
name and age.* 

When Taric was thus in possession of the 
city, the Jews came to him in procession, with 
songs and dances, and the sound of timbrel 
and psaltery, hailing him as their lord, and re- 
minding him of his promises. 

* Conde, Hist, de las Arabes en Espafia, c. 12. 



42 Spanisb papers 



The son of Ishrnael kept his word with the 
children of Israel ; they were protected in the 
possession of all their wealth and the exercise 
of their religion, and were, moreover, rewarded 
with jewels of gold and jewels of silver and 
much moneys.* 

A subsequent expedition was led by Taric 
against Guadalaxara, which surrendered with- 
out resistance ; he moreover captured the city 
of Medina Celi, where he found an inestimable 
table which had formed a part of the spoil 
taken at Rome by Alaric, at the time that the 
sacred city was conquered by the Goths. It 
was composed of one single and entire emerald, 
and possessed talismanic powers ; for traditions 
affirm that it was the work of genii, and had 
been wrought by them for King Solomon the 
Wise, the son of David. This marvellous relic 
was carefully preserved by Taric, as the most 
precious of all his spoils, being intended by 
him as a present to the caliph ; and in com- 
memoration of it the city was called by the 
Arabs Medina Almeyda, — that is to say, " The 
City of the Table." f 

* The stratagem of the Jews of Toledo is recorded 
briefly by Bishop L,ucas de Tuy, in his chronicle, but 
is related at large in the chronicle of the Moor Rasis. 

t According to Arabian legends, this table was a 
mirror revealing all great events ; insomuch that by 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 



43 



Having made these and other conquests of 
less importance, and having collected great 
quantities of gold and silver, and rich stuffs 
and precious stones, Taric returned with his 
booty to the royal city of Toledo. 

looking on it the possessor might behold battles and 
sieges and feats of chivalr}^, and all actions worthy of 
renown ; and might thus ascertain the truth of all 
historic transactions. It was a mirror of history 
therefore ; and had very probably aided King Solo- 
mon in acquiring that prodigious knowledge and 
wisdom for which he was renowned. 





Cbapter WIT. 

Muza ben Nosier — His Entrance into Spain and 
Capture of Carmona. 

LET us leave for a season the bold Taric 
in his triumphant progress from city to 
city, while we turn our eyes to Muza 
ben Nosier, the renowned emir of Al- 
magreb, and the commander-in-chief of the 
Moslem forces of the West. When that jealous 
chieftain had despatched his letter command- 
ing Taric to pause and await his coming, he 
immediately made every preparation to enter 
Spain with a powerful reinforcement, and to 
take command of the conquering army. He 
left his eldest son, Abdalasis, in Caervan, with 
authority over Almagreb, or Western Africa. 
This Abdalasis was in the flower of his youth, 
and beloved by the soldiery for the magna- 
nimity and the engaging affability which 
graced his courage. 

Muza ben Nosier crossed the Strait of Her- 

44 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 45 

cules with a chosen force of ten thousand horse 
and eight thousand foot, Arabs and Africans. 
He was accompanied by his two sons, Meruan 
and Abdelola, and by numerous illustrious 
Arabian cavaliers of the tribe of the Koreish. 
He landed his shining legions on the coast of 
Andalusia, and pitched his tents near to the 
Guadiana. There first he received intelligence 
of the disobedience of Taric to his orders, and 
that, without waiting his arrival, the impetu- 
ous chieftain had continued his career, and 
with his light Arab squadrons had overrun and 
subdued the noblest provinces and cities of the 
kingdom. 

The jealous spirit of Muza was still more 
exasperated by these tidings ; he looked upon 
Taric no longer as a friend and coadjutor, but 
as an invidious rival, the decided enemy of his 
glory, and he determined on his ruin. His 
first consideration, however, was to secure to 
himself a share in the actual conquest of the 
land before it should be entirely subjugated. 

Taking guides, therefore, from among his 
Christian captives, he set out to subdue such 
parts of the country as had not been visited 
by Taric. The first place which he assailed 
was the ancient city of Carmona ; it was not of 
great magnitude, but was fortified with high 
walls and massive towers, and many of the 



46 Spanisb papers 



fugitives of the late army had thrown them- 
selves into it. 

The Goths had by this time recovered from 
their first panic ; they had become accustomed 
to the sight of Moslem troops, and their na- 
tive courage had been roused by danger. 
Shortly after the Arabs had encamped before 
their walls, a band of cavaliers made a sudden 
sally one morning before the break of day, fell 
upon the enemy by surprise, killed above 
three hundred of them in their tents, and 
effected their retreat into the city ; leaving 
twenty of their number dead, covered with 
honorable wounds, and in the very centre of 
the camp. 

On the following day they made another 
sally, and fell on a different quarter of the en- 
campment ; but the Arabs were on their guard, 
and met them with superior numbers. After 
fighting fiercely for a time, they were routed, 
and fled full speed for the city, with the Arabs 
hard upon their traces. The guards within 
feared to open the gate, lest with their friends 
they should admit a torrent of enemies. See- 
ing themselves thus shut out, the fugitives 
determined to die like brave soldiers rather 
than surrender. Wheeling suddenly round, 
they opened a path through the host of their 
pursuers, fought their way back to the camp, 



XLbc Subjugation of Spain 47 

and raged about it with desperate fury until 
they were all slain, after having killed above 
eight hundred of the enemy.* 

Muza now ordered that the place should be 
taken by storm. The Moslems assailed it on 
all sides, but were vigorously resisted ; many 
were slain by showers of stones, arrows, and 
boiling pitch, and many who had mounted 
with scaling-ladders were thrown headlong 
from the battlements. The alcayde, Galo, 
aided solely by two men, defended a tower and 
a portion of the wall, killing and wounding 
with a cross-bow more than eighty of the 
enemy. The attack lasted above half a day, 
when the Moslems were repulsed with the loss 
of fifteen hundred men. 

Muza was astonished and exasperated at 
meeting with such formidable resistance from 
so small a city ; for it was one of the few places, 
during that memorable conquest, where the 
Gothic valor shone forth with its proper lus- 
tre. While the Moslem army lay encamped 
before the place, it was joined by Magued the 
renegado, and Count Julian the traitor, with 
one thousand horsemen ; most of them recreant 
Christians, base betrayers of their country, and 
more savage in their warfare than the Arabs 
of the desert. To find favor in the eyes of 
* Abulcasim, Perdida de Espana> 1. I, c. 13. 



4& Spanisb papers 



Muza, and to evince his devotion to the cause, 
the count undertook, by wily stratagem, to 
put this gallant city in his power. 

One evening, just at twilight, a number of 
Christians, habited as travelling merchants, 
arrived at one of the gates, conducting a train 
of mules laden with arms and warlike muni- 
tions. " Open the gate quickly," cried they ; 
"we bring supplies for the garrison, but the 
Arabs have discovered and are in pursuit of 
us." The gate was thrown open, the merchants 
entered with their beasts of burden, and 
were joyfully received. Meat and drink were 
placed before them, and after they had re- 
freshed themselves they retired to the quarters 
allotted to them. 

These pretended merchants were Count 
Julian and a number of his partisans. At 
the hour of midnight they stole forth silently, 
and assembling together, proceeded to what is 
called the Gate of Cordova. Here setting 
suddenly upon the unsuspecting guards, they 
put them to the edge of the sword, and throw- 
ing open the gates, admitted a great body of 
the Arabs. The inhabitants were roused from 
their sleep by sound of drum and trumpet and 
the clattering of horses. The Arabs scoured the 
streets ; a horrible massacre was commenced, 
in which none were spared but such of the fe- 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 



49 



males as were young and beautiful, and fitted 
to grace the harems of the conquerors. The 
arrival of Muza put an end to the pillage and 
the slaughter, and he granted favorable terms 
to the survivors. Thus the valiant little city 
of Carmona, after nobly resisting the open 
assaults of the infidels, fell a victim to the 
treachery of apostate Christians.* 

* Crcn. Gen. de Espana, por Alonzo el Sabio, p. 3, 

c. 1. 

4 





Cbapter OTITir. 



Muza Marches against the City of Seville. 

AFTER the capture of Carmona, Muza 
descended into a noble plain, covered 
with fields of grain, with orchards and 
gardens, through which glided the soft- 
flowing Guadalquivir. On the borders of the 
river stood the ancient crty of Seville, sur- 
rounded by Roman walls, and defended by its 
golden tower. Understanding from his spies 
that the city had lost the flower of its youth in 
the battle of the Guadalete, Muza anticipated 
but a faint resistance. A considerable force, 
however, still remained within the place, and 
what they wanted in numbers they made up 
in resolution. For some days they withstood 
the assaults of the enemy, and defended their 
walls with great courage. Their want of war- 
like munitions, however, and the superior force 
and skill of the besieging army, left them no 
hope of being able to hold out long. There 

50 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 51 

were two youthful cavaliers of uncommon valor 
in the city. They assembled the warriors and 
addressed them. "We cannot save the city," 
said they; "but at least, we may save our- 
selves, and preserve so many strong arms for 
the service of our country. L,et us cut our 
way through the infidel force, and gain some 
secure fortress, from whence we may return 
with augmented numbers for the rescue of the 
city." 

The advice of the young cavaliers was 
adopted. In the dead of the night the garri- 
son assembled, to the number of about three 
thousand, — the most part mounted on horse- 
back. Suddenly sallying from one of the gates, 
they rushed in a compact body upon the camp 
of the Saracens, which was negligently guar- 
ded, for the Moslems expected no such act 
of desperation. The camp was a scene of great 
carnage and confusion ; many were slain on 
both sides ; the two valiant leaders of the 
Christians fell covered with wounds, but the 
main body succeeded in forcing their way 
through the centre of the army, and in mak- 
ing their retreat .to Beja in Iyusitania. 

Muza was at a loss to know the meaning of 
this desperate sally. In the morning he per- 
ceived the gates of the city wide open. A 
number of ancient and venerable men pre- 



52 



Spanish jpapers 



sented themselves at his tent, offering submis- 
sion and imploring mercy, for none were left in 
the place but the old, the infirm, and the miser- 
able. Muza listened to them with compassion, 
and granted their prayer, and the only tribute he 
exacted was three measures of wheat and three 
of barley from each house or family. He placed 
a garrison of Arabs in the city, and left there 
a number of Jews to form a body of population. 
Having thus secured two important places in 
Andalusia, he passed the boundaries of the 
province, and advanced with great martial 
pomp into L,usitania. 





Cbapter 1T£. 

Muza Besieges the City of Merida. 

THE army of Muza was now augmented 
to about eighteen thousand horsemen, 
but he took with him but few foot-sol- 
diers, leaving them to garrison the 
conquered towns. He met with no resistance 
on his entrance into L,usitania. City after city 
laid its keys at his feet, and implored to be re- 
ceived in peaceful vassalage. One city alone 
prepared for vigorous defense, the ancient Me- 
rida, a place of great extent, uncounted 
riches, and prodigious strength. A noble 
Goth named Sacarus was the governor, — a 
man of consummate wisdom, patriotism and 
valor. Hearing of the approach of the inva- 
ders, he gathered within the walls all the peo- 
ple of the surrounding country, with their 
horses and mules, their flocks and herds, and 
most precious effects. To insure for a long 
time a supply of bread, he filled the magazines 

53 



54 Spanisb ipapers 



with grain, and erected wind-mills on the 
churches. This done, he laid waste the sur- 
rounding country to a great extent, so that a 
besieging army would have to encamp in a 
desert. 

When Muza came in sight of this magnifi- 
cent city he was struck with admiration. He 
remained for some time gazing in silence upon 
its mighty walls and lordly towers, its vast 
extent, and the stately palaces and temples 
with which it was adorned. " Surely," cried 
he, at length, " all the people of the earth 
have combined their power and skill to embel- 
lish and aggrandize this city. Allah Achbar ! 
Happy will he be who shall have the glory of 
making such a conquest ! ' ' 

Seeing that a place so populous and so 
strongly fortified would be likely to maintain 
a long and formidable resistance, he sent mes- 
sengers to Africa to his son Abdalasis, to col- 
lect all the forces that could be spared from 
the garrisons of Mauritania, and to hasten and 
reinforce him. 

While Muza was forming his encampment, 
deserters from the city brought him word that 
a chosen band intended to sally forth at mid- 
night and surprise his camp. The Arab com- 
mander immediately took measures to receive 
them with a counter-surprise. Having formed 



XLbc Subjugation of Spain 55 

his plan, and communicated it to his principal 
officers, he ordered that, throughout the day, 
there should be kept up an appearance of negli- 
gent confusion in his encampment. The out- 
posts were feebly guarded ; fires were lighted 
in various places, as if preparing for feasting ; 
bursts of music and shouts of revelry resounded 
from different quarters, and the whole camp 
seemed to be rioting in careless security on the 
plunder of the land. As the night advanced, 
the fires were gradually extinguished, and si- 
lence ensued, as if the soldiery had sunk into 
deep sleep after the carousal. 

In the meantime, bodies of troops had been 
secretly and silently marched to reinforce the 
outposts ; and the renegado Magued, with a 
numerous force, had formed an ambuscade in 
a deep stone quarry by which the Christians 
would have to pass. These preparations being 
made, they awaited the approach of the enemy 
in breathless silence. 

About midnight the chosen force intended 
for the sally assembled, and the command was 
confided to Count Tendero, a Gothic cavalier 
of tried prowess. After having heard a solemn 
mass and received the benediction of the priest, 
they marched out of the gate with all possible 
silence. They were suffered to pass the am- 
buscade in the quarry without molestation ; as 



56 Spantsb papers 



they approached the Moslem camp everything 
appeared quiet, for the foot-soldiers were con- 
cealed in slopes and hollows, and every Arab 
horseman lay in his armor beside his steed. 
The sentinels on the outposts waited until the 
Christians were close at hand, and then fled in 
apparent consternation. 

Count Tendero gave the signal for assault, 
and the Christians rushed confidently forward. 
In an instant an uproar of drums, trumpets, 
and shrill war-cries burst forth from every 
side. An army seemed to spring up from the 
earth ; squadrons of horse came thundering 
on them in front, while the quarry poured forth 
legions of armed warriors in their rear. 

The noise of the terrific conflict that took 
place was heard on the city walls, and an- 
swered by shouts of exultation, for the Chris- 
tians thought it rose from the terror and 
confusion of the Arab camp. In a little while, 
however, they were undeceived by fugitives 
from the fight, aghast with terror and covered 
with wounds. " Hell itself," cried they, "is 
on the side of these infidels ; the earth casts 
forth warriors and steeds to aid them. We 
have fought, not with men, but devils ! ,: 

The greater part of the chosen troops who 
had sallied were cut to pieces in that scene of 
massacre, for they had been confounded by the 






XLbe Subjugation of Spain 57 

tempest of battle which suddenly broke forth 
around them. Count Tendero fought with 
desperate valor, and fell covered with wounds. 
His body was found the next morning, lying 
among the slain, and transpierced with half a 
score of lances. The renegado Magued cut 
off his head and tied it to the tail of his horse, 
and repaired with this savage trophy to the 
tent of Muza ; but the hostility of the Arab 
general was of a less malignant kind. He 
ordered that the head and body should be 
placed together upon a bier, and treated with 
becoming reverence. 

In the course of the day a train of priests 
and friars came forth from the city to request 
permission to seek for the body of the count. 
Muza delivered it to them, with many soldier- 
like encomiums on the valor of that good 
cavalier. The priests covered it with a pall 
of cloth of gold, and bore it back in melan- 
choly procession to the city, where it was re- 
ceived with loud lamentations. 

The siege was now pressed with great vigor 
and repeated assaults were made, but in vain. 
Muza saw, at length, that the walls were too 
high to be scaled, and the gates too strong to 
be burst open without the aid of engines, and 
he desisted from the attack until machines for 
the purpose could be constructed. The gov- 



5& Spanish papers 



ernor suspected from this cessation of active 
warfare that the enemy flattered themselves to 
reduce the place by famine ; he caused, there- 
fore, large baskets of bread to be thrown from 
the wall, and sent a messenger to Muza to 
inform him that if his army should be in want 
of bread he would supply it, having sufficient 
corn in his granaries for a ten years' siege.* 

The citizens, however, did not possess the 
undaunted spirit of their governor. When the}^ 
found that the Moslems were constructing tre- 
mendous engines for the destruction of their 
walls, they lost all courage, and, surrounding 
the governor in a clamorous multitude, com- 
pelled him to send forth persons to capitulate. 

The ambassadors came into the presence of 
Muza with awe, for they expected to find a 
fierce and formidable warrior in one who had 
filled the land with terror ; but, to their aston- 
ishment, they beheld an ancient and venerable 
man, with white hair, a snowy beard, and a 
pale, emaciated countenance. He had passed 
the previous night without sleep, and had been 
all day in the field ; he was exhausted, there- 
fore, by watchfulness and fatigue, and his 
garments were covered with dust. 

" What a devil of a man is this," murmured 
the ambassadors, one to another, ' ( to under- 
*Bleda, Cro?iica y 1. 2, c. 11. 



Gbe Subjugation ot Spain 59 

take such a seige when on the verge of the 
grave. L,et us defend our city the best way 
we can ; surely we can hold out longer than 
the life of this gray beard. ' ' 

They returned to the city, therefore, scoffing 
at an invader who seemed fitter to lean on a 
crutch than wield a lance ; and the terms offered 
by Muza, which would otherwise have been 
thought favorable, were scornfully rejected by 
the inhabitants. A few days put an end to 
this mistaken confidence. Abdalasis, the son 
of Muza, arrived from Africa at the head of 
his reinforcement ; he brought seven thousand 
horsemen and a host of Barbary archers, and 
made a glorious display as he marched into the 
camp. The arrival of this youthful warrior 
was hailed with great acclamations, so much 
had he won the hearts of the soldiery by the 
frankness, the suavity, and generosity of his 
conduct. Immediately after his arrival a grand 
assault was made upon the city, and several 
of the huge battering engines being finished, 
they were wheeled up and began to thunder 
against the walls. 

The unsteady populace were again seized 
with terror, and, surrounding their governor 
with fresh clamors, obliged him to send forth 
ambassadors a second time to treat of a sur- 
render. When admitted to the presence of 



6o Spanisb papers 



Muza, the ambassadors could scarcely believe 
their eyes, or that this was the same withered, 
white-headed old man of whom they had lately 
spoken with scoffing. His hair and beard 
were tinged of a ruddy brown ; his countenance 
was refreshed by repose and flushed with in- 
dignation, and he appeared a man in the 
matured vigor of his days. The ambassadors 
were struck with awe. " Surely,' ' whispered 
they, one to another, "this must be either a 
devil or a magician, who can thus make him- 
self old and young at pleasure ! ' ' 

Muza received them haughtily. " Hence/' 
said he, * ' and tell your people I grant them 
the same terms I have already proffered, pro- 
vided the city be instantly surrendered ; but, 
by the head of Mahomet, if there be any further 
delay, not one mother's son of ye shall receive 
mercy at my hands ! " 

The deputies returned into the city pale and 
dismayed. ' ' Go forth ! go forth ! ' ' cried they, 
" and accept whatever terms are offered ; of 
what avail is it to fight against men who can 
renew their youth at pleasure ? Behold, we 
left the leader of the infidels an old and feeble 
man, and to-day we find him youthful and 
vigorous." * 

* Conde, p. i, c. 13. Ambrosio de Morales. N. B. 
=— In the chronicle of Spain, composed by order of 



> 






XLhc Subjugation of Spain 61 

The place was, therefore, surrendered forth- 
with, and Muza entered it in triumph. His 
terms were merciful. Those who chose to re- 
main were protected in persons, possessions, 
and religion ; he took the property of those 
only who abandoned the city or had fallen in 
battle ; together with all arms and horses, and 
the treasures and ornaments of the churches. 
Among these sacred spoils was found a cup 
made of a single pearl, which a king of Spain, 
in ancient times, had brought from the temple 
of Jerusalem when it was destroyed by Nabu- 
chodonosor. This precious relic was sent by 
Muza to the caliph, and was placed in the prin- 
cipal mosque of the city of Damascus.* 

Muza knew how to esteem merit even in an 
enemy. When Sacarus, the governor of 
Merida, appeared before him, he lauded him 
greatly for the skill and courage he had dis- 
played in the defense of his city ; and, taking 
off his own scimetar, which was of great value, 
girded it upon him with his own hands. 
" Wear this," said he, u asa poor memorial of 
my admiration ; a soldier of such virtue and 
valor is worthy of far higher honors." 

He would have engaged the governor in his 

Alonzo the Wise, this anecdote is given as having 
happened at the siege of Seville. 
* Marmol., Descrip. de Africa, t. i, 1. 2. 



62 Spanfeb papers 



service, or have persuaded him to remain in 
the city, as an illustrious vassal of the caliph, 
but the noble-minded Sacarus refused to bend 
to the yoke of the conquerors ; nor could he 
bring himself to reside contentedly in his coun- 
try, when subjected to the domination of the 
infidels. Gathering together all those who 
chose to accompany him into exile, he em- 
barked to seek some country where he might 
live in peace and in the free exercise of his re- 
ligion. What shore these ocean pilgrims landed 
upon has never been revealed ; but tradition 
vaguely gives us to believe that it was some 
unknown island far in the bosom of the 
Atlantic* 

* Abulcasim, Perdida de Esfiana, 1. i, c. 13. 





Cbaptet £♦ 

Expedition of Abdalasis against Seville and the 
"Land ofTadmir." 

AFTER the capture of Merida, Muza gave 
a grand banquet to his captains and 
distinguished warriors in that magnifi- 
cent city. At this martial feast were 
many Arab cavaliers who had been present in 
various battles, and they vied with each other 
in recounting the daring enterprises in which 
they had been engaged, and the splendid 
triumphs they had witnessed. While they 
talked with ardor and exultation, Abdalasis, 
the son of Muza, alone kept silence, and sat 
with a dejected countenance. At length, w T hen 
there was a pause, he turned to his father and 
addressed him with modest earnestness : ' * My 
lord and father," said he, "I blush to hear 
your warriors recount the toils and dangers 
the)^ have passed while I have done nothing 
to entitle me to their companionship. When 

63 



64 Spanisb papers 



I return to Egypt and present myself before 
the caliph, he will ask me of my services in 
Spain ; what battle I have gained ; what town 
or castle I have taken. How shall I answer 
him? If 3^ou love me, then, as your son, give 
me a command, intrust me to an enterprise, 
and let me acquire a name worthy to be men- 
tioned among men." 

The eyes of Muza kindled with joy at find- 
ing Abdalasis thus ambitious of renown in arms. 
* 'Allah be praised ! ' ' exclaimed he, ' ' the heart 
of my son is in the right place. It is becoming 
in youth to look upward and be aspiring. Thy 
desire, Abdalasis, shall be gratified. ,, 

An opportunity at that very time presented 
itself to prove the prowess and discretion of the 
youth. During the siege of Merida, the Chris- 
tian troops which had taken refuge at Beja had 
reinforced themselves from Pefiaflor, and sud- 
denly returning, had presented themselves 
before the gates of the city of Seville.* Certain 
of the Christian inhabitants threw open the 
gates and admitted them. The troops rushed 
to the alcazar, took it by surprise, and put 
many of the Moslem garrison to the sword ; 
the residue made their escape, and fled to the 
Arab camp before Merida, leaving Seville in 
the hands of the Christians. 

*Espinosa, Antq. y Grand, de Sevilla, 1. 2, c. 3.. 



Zhe Subjugation of Spain 65 

The veteran Muza, now that the siege of 
Merida was at an end, was meditating the re- 
capture and punishment of Seville at the very 
time when Abdalasis addressed him. " Be- 
hold, my son," exclaimed he, "an enterprise 
worthy of thy ambition ! Take with thee all 
the troops thou hast brought from Africa ; re- 
duce the city of Seville again to subjection, 
and plant thy standard upon its alcazar. But 
stop not there : carry thy conquering sword into 
the southern parts of Spain ; thou wilt find 
there a harvest of glory yet to be reaped." 

Abdalasis lost no time in departing upon this 
enterprise. He took with him Count Julian, 
Magued el Rumi, and the Bishop Oppas, that 
he might benefit by their knowledge of the 
country. When he came in sight of the fair 
city of Seville, seated like a queen in the midst 
of its golden plain, with the Guadalquivir flow- 
ing beneath its walls, he gazed upon it with the 
admiration of a lover, and lamented in his soul 
that he had to visit it as an avenger. His 
troops, however, regarded it with wrathful eyes, 
thinking onty of its rebellion and of the massa- 
cre of their countrymen in the alcazar. 

The principal people of the city had taken 
no part in this gallant but fruitless insurrec- 
tion ; and now, when they beheld the army of 
Abdalasis encamped upon the banks of the 



66 Spanfeb papers 



Guadalquivir, would fain have gone forth to 
make explanations, and intercede for mercy. 
The populace, however, forbade any one to 
leave the city, and, barring the gates, prepared 
to defend themselves to the last. 

The place was attacked with resistless fury. 
The gates were soon burst open ; the Moslems 
rushed in, panting for revenge. They confined 
not !:heir slaughter to the soldiery in the al- 
cazar, but roamed through every street, con- 
founding the innocent with the guilty in one 
bloody massacre, and it was with the utmost 
difficulty that Abdalasis could at length suc- 
ceed in staying their sanguinary career.* 

The son of Muza proved himself as mild in 
conquest as he had been intrepid in assault. 
The moderation and benignity of his conduct 
soothed the terrors of the vanquished, and his 
wise precautions restored tranquillity. Having 
made proper regulations for the protection of 
the inhabitants, he left a strong garrison in the 
place to prevent any future insurrection, and 
then departed on the further prosecution of his 
enterprise. 

Wherever he went his arms were victorious, 

and his victories were always characterized by 

the same magnanimity. At length he arrived 

on the confines of that beautiful region, com- 

* Conde, p. i, c. 14. 



ttbe Subjugation of Spain 67 

prising lofty and precipitous mountains and 
rich and delicious plains, afterwards known by 
the name of the kingdom of Murcia. All this 
part of the country was defended by the veteran 
Theodomir, who, by skillful management, had 
saved a remnant of his forces after the defeat 
on the banks of the Guadalete. 

Theodomir was a stanch warrior, but a wary 
and prudent man. He had experienced the 
folly of opposing the Arabs in open field, where 
their cavalry and armor gave them such superi- 
ority ; on their approach, therefore, he assem- 
bled all his people capable of bearing arms, and 
took possession of the cliffs and mountain 
passes. ' ' Here, ' ' said he, ' ' a simple goatherd, 
who can hurl down rocks and stones, is as good 
as a warrior armed in proof. ' ' In this way he 
checked and harassed the Moslem army in 
all its movements, — showering down missiles 
upon it from overhanging precipices, and way- 
laying it in narrow and rugged defiles, where 
a few raw troops could make stand against a 
host. 

Theodomir was in a fair way to baffle his 
foes, and oblige them to withdraw from his 
territories ; unfortunately, however, the wary 
veteran had two sons with him, young men of 
hot and heady valor, who considered all this 
prudence of their father as savoring of coward- 



68 Spantsb papers 



ice, and who were anxious to try their prowess 
in the open field. "What glory," said they, 
" is to be gained by destroying an enemy in this 
way, from the covert of rocks and thickets ? ' ' 

"You talk like young men," replied the 
veteran. " Glory is a prize one may fight for 
abroad, but safety is the object when the enemy 
is at the door." 

One day, however, the young men succeeded 
in drawing down their father into the plain. 
Abdalasis immediately seized on the opportu- 
nity, and threw himself between the Goths and 
their mountain fastnesses. Theodomir saw 
too late the danger into which he was betrayed. 
"What can our raw troops do," said he, 
" against those squadrons of horse that move 
like castles ? l,et us make a rapid retreat to 
Orihuela, and defend ourselves from behind its 
walls." 

" Father," said the eldest son, " it is too late 
to retreat ; remain here with the reserve while 
my brother and I advance. Fear nothing ; am 
not I your son, and would I not die to defend 
you?" 

" In truth," replied the veteran, " I have my 
doubts whether you are my son. But if I re- 
main here, and you should all be killed, where 
then would be my protection ? Come," added 
he, turning to the second son, "I trust that 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 6 9 

thou art virtually my son, let us hasten to re- 
treat before it is too late." 

" Father," replied the youngest, " I have not 
a doubt that I am honestly and thoroughly 
your son, and as such I honor you ; but I owe 
duty likewise to my mother, and when I sallied 
to the war she gave me her blessing as long as 
I should act with valor, but her curse should I 
prove craven and fly the field. Fear nothing, 
father ; I will defend you while living, and 
even after you are dead. You shall never fail 
of an honorable sepulture among your kindred. ' ' 

" A pestilence on ye both," cried Theodomir, 
" for a brace of misbegotten madmen ! What 
care I, think ye, where ye lay my body when 
I am dead? One day's existence in a hovel is 
worth an age of interment in a marble sepul- 
chre. Come, my friends," said he, turning to 
his principal cavaliers, ' ' let us leave these hot- 
headed striplings and make our retreat ; if we 
tarry any longer the enemy will be upon us. ' ' 

Upon this the cavaliers and proud hidalgoes 
drew up scornfulty and tossed their heads : 
* ' What do you see in us, ' ' said they, ' ' that you 
think we will show our backs to the enemy ? 
Forward ! was ever the good old Gothic watch- 
word, and with that will we live and die ! ' ' 

While time was lost in these disputes, the 
Moslem army kept advancing until retreat was 



7o Spanish papers 



no longer practicable. The battle was tumul- 
tuous and bloody. Theodomir fought like a 
lion, but it was all in vain ; he saw his two 
sons cut down, and the greater part of their 
rash companions, while his raw mountain 
troops fled in all directions. 

Seeing there was no longer any hope, he 
seized the bridle of a favorite page who was 
near him, and who was about spurring for the 
mountains. " Part not from me," said he, 
" but do thou, at least, attend to my counsel, 
my son ; and of a truth I believe thou art my 
son, for thou art the offspring of one of my 
handmaids who was kind unto me." And in- 
deed the youth marvellously resembled him. 
Turning then the reins of his own steed, and 
giving him the spur, he fled amain from the 
field, followed by the page ; nor did he stop 
until he arrived within the walls of Orihuela. 

Ordering the gates to be barred and bolted, 
he prepared to receive the enemy. There were 
but few men in the city capable of bearing 
arms, most of the youth having fallen in the 
field. He caused the women, therefore, to 
clothe themselves in male attire, to put on hats 
and helmets, to take long reeds in their hands 
instead of lances, and to cross their hair upon 
their chins in semblance of beards. With 
these troops he lined the walls and toweis. 



Zbc Subjugation of Spain 71 

It was about the hour of twilight that Ab- 
dalasis approached with his army, but he 
paused when he saw the walls so numerously 
garrisoned. Then Theodomir took a flag of 
truce in his hand, and put a herald's tabard on 
the page, and they two sallied forth to capitu- 
late, and were graciously received by Abdalasis. 

11 1 come," said Theodomir, " on the behalf 
of the commander of this city, to treat for 
terms worthy of your magnanimity and of his 
dignity. You perceive that the city is capable 
of withstanding a long siege, but he is desirous 
of sparing the lives of his soldiers. Promise 
that the inhabitants shall be at liberty to de- 
part unmolested with their property, and the 
city will be delivered up to you to-morrow 
morning without a blow ; otherwise we are 
prepared to fight until not a man be left." 

Abdalasis was well pleased to get so power- 
ful a place upon such easy terms, but stipulated 
that the garrison should lay down their arms. 
To this Theodomir readily assented, with the 
exception, however, of the governor and his 
retinue, w T hich was granted out of considera- 
tion for his dignity. The articles of capitula- 
tion were then drawn out, and when Abdalasis 
had affixed his name and seal, Theodomir took 
the pen and wrote his signature. " Behold in 
me," said he, " the governor of the city ! " 



72 Spantsb papers 



Abdalasis was pleased with the hardihood of 
the commander of the place in thus venturing 
personally into his power, and entertained the 
veteran with still greater honor. When The- 
odomir returned to the city, he made known 
the capitulation, and charged the inhabitants 
to pack up their effects during the night and 
be ready to sally forth during the morning. 

At the dawn of day the gates were thrown 
open, and Abdalasis looked to see a great force 
issuing forth, but to his surprise beheld merely 
Theodomir and his page in battered armor, 
followed by a multitude of old men, women, 
and children. 

Abdalasis waited until the whole had come 
forth, then turning to Theodomir, "Where," 
cried he, " are the soldiers whom I saw last 
evening lining the walls and towers ? " 

" Soldiers have I none," replied the veteran. 
"As to my garrison, behold it before you. 
With these women did I man my walls, and 
this my page is my herald, guard, and re- 
tinue. ' ' 

Upon this the Bishop Oppas and Count Ju- 
lian exclaimed that the capitulation was a base 
fraud and ought not to be complied with ; but 
Abdalasis relished the stratagem of the old 
soldier, and ordered that the stipulations of 
the treaty should be faithfully performed. 



OT>e Subjugation of Spain 73 

Nay, so high an opinion did he conceive of the 
subtle wisdom of this commander that he per- 
mitted him to remain in authority over the 
surrounding country on his acknowledging 
allegiance and engaging to pay tribute to the 
caliph ; and all that part of Spain, comprising 
the beautiful provinces of Murcia and Valen- 
cia, was long after known by the Arabic name 
of its defender, and is still recorded in Arabian 
chronicles as ' * The land of Tadmir. ' ' * 

Having succeeded in subduing this rich and 
fruitful region, and having gained great re- 
known for his generosity as well as valor, Ab- 
dalasis returned with the chief part of his 
army to the city of Seville. 

* Conde, p. i. Cronica del Moro Rasis. Cron. 
Gen. Espana, por Alonzo el Sabio, p. 3, c. 1. 





Cbapter f f. 

Muza Arrives at Toledo — Interview between him and 

Taric. 

WHEN Muza ben Nosier had sent his 
son Abdalasis to subdue Seville, he 
departed for Toledo to call Taric to 
account for his disobedience to his 
orders ; for, amidst all his own successes, the 
prosperous career of that commander preyed 
upon his mind. What can content the jealous 
and ambitious heart ? As Muza passed through 
the land, towns and cities submitted to him 
without resistance ; he was lost in wonder at 
the riches of the country and the noble monu- 
ments of art with which it was adorned ; when 
he beheld the bridges, constructed in ancient 
times by the Romans, they seemed to him the 
work, not of men, but of genii. Yet all these 
admirable objects only made him repine the 
more that he had not had the exclusive glory 
of invading and subduing the land ; and exas- 

74 



Zhc Subjugation of Spain 75 

perated him the more against Taric, for hav- 
ing apparently endeavored to monopolize the 
conquest. 

Taric heard of his approach, and came forth 
to meet him at Talavera, accompanied by many 
of the most distinguished companions of his 
victories, and with a train of horses and mules 
laden with spoils, with which he trusted to 
propitiate the favor of his commander. Their 
meeting took place on the banks of the rapid 
river Tietar, which rises in the mountains of 
Placencia and throws itself into the Tagus. 
Muza, in former days, while Taric had acted 
as his subordinate and indefatigable officer, 
had cherished and considered him as a second 
self ; but now that he had started up to be a 
rival, he could not conceal his jealousy. When 
the veteran came into his presence, he regarded 
him for a moment with a stern and indignant 
aspect. "Why hast thou disobeyed my or- 
ders ? " said he. ' * I commanded thee to await 
my arrival with reinforcements, but thou hast 
rashly overrun the country, endangering the 
loss of our armies and the ruin of our cause.' ' 

"I have acted," replied Taric, "in such 
manner as I thought would best serve the 
cause of Islam, and in so doing I thought to 
fulfil <the wishes of Muza. Whatever I have 
done has been as your servant ; behold your 



76 Spanisb papers 



share as commander-in-chief of spoils which I 
have collected." So saying he produced an 
immense treasure in silver and gold, and costly 
stuffs and precious stones, and spread it before 
Muza. 

The anger of the Arab commander was still 
more kindled at the sight of this booty, for it 
proved how splendid had been the victories of 
Taric ; but he restrained his wrath for the pres- 
ent, and they proceeded together in moody si- 
lence to Toledo. When he entered this royal 
city, however, and ascended to the ancient pal- 
ace of the Gothic kings, and reflected that all 
this had been a scene of triumph to his rival, 
he could no longer repress his indignation. 
He demanded of Taric a strict account of all 
the riches he had gathered in Spain, even of 
the presents he had reserved for the caliph, and 
above all, he made him yield up his favorite 
trophy, the talismanic table of Solomon. When 
all this was done, he again upbraided him bit- 
terly with his disobedience of orders, and with 
the rashness of his conduct. "What blind 
confidence in fortune hast thou shown," said 
he, ' ' in overrunning such a country and assail- 
ing such powerful cities with thy scanty force ! 
What madness to venture everything upon a 
desperate chance, when thou knewest I was 
coming w T ith a force to make the victory secure. 



XLhe Subjugation ot Spain 77 

All thy success has been owing to mere luck, 
not to judgment nor generalship/ ' 

He then bestowed high praises upon the 
other chieftians for their services in the cause 
of Islam, but they answered not a word, and 
their countenances were gloomy and discon- 
tented ; for they felt the inj ustice done to their 
favorite leader. As to Taric, though his eye 
burned like fire, he kept his passion within 
bounds. " I have done the best I could to 
serve God and the caliph/ ' said he emphati- 
cally ; " my conscience acquits me, and I trust 
my sovereign will do the same." 

" Perhaps he may," replied Muza, bitterlv ; 
"but, in the meantime, I cannot confide his 
interests to a desperado who is heedless of 
orders and throws everything at hazard. Such 
a general is unworthy to be intrusted with the 
fate of armies. ' ' 

So saying, he divested Taric of his command, 
and gave it to Magued the renegado. The 
gaunt Taric still maintained an air of stern 
composure. His only words were, * ' The ca- 
liph will do me justice ! " Muza was so trans- 
ported with passion at this laconic defiance 
that he ordered him to be thrown into prison, 
and even threatened his life. 

Upon this, Magued el Rumi, though he had 
risen by the disgrace of Taric, had the gen- 



78 Spanish lpapera 



erosity to speak out warmly in his favor. 
" Consider/ ' said he, to Muza, " what may be 
the consequences of this severity ? Taric has 
many friends in the army ; his actions, too, 
have been signal and illustrious, and entitle 
him to the highest honors and rewards, instead 
of disgrace and imprisonment.' ' 

The anger of Muza, however, was not to be 
appeased ; and he trusted to justify his meas- 
ures by despatching missives to the caliph, 
complaining of the insubordination of Taric, 
and his rash and headlong conduct. The result 
proved the wisdom of the caution given by 
Magued. In the course of a little while Muza 
received a humiliating letter from the caliph, 
ordering him to restore Taric to the command 
of the soldiers ' * whom he had so gloriously 
conducted ; " and not render useless " one of 
the best swords in Islam ! " * 

It is thus the envious man brings humilia- 
tion and reproach upon himself, in endeavor- 
ing to degrade a meritorious rival. When the 
tidings came of the justice rendered by the 
caliph to the merits of the veteran, there was 
general joy throughout the army, and Muza 
read in the smiling countenances of every one 
around him a severe censure upon his conduct. 
He concealed, however, his deep humiliation, 
*Conde, pt. i, c. 15. 



Zbc Subjugation ot Spain 



79 



and affected to obey the orders of his sovereign 
with great alacrity ; he released Taric from 
prison, feasted hirn at his own table, and then 
publicly replaced him at the head of his troops. 
The army received its favorite veteran with 
shouts of joy, and celebrated with rejoicings 
the reconciliation of the commanders ; but the 
shouts of the soldiery were abhorrent to the 
ears of Muza. 





Chapter f1F1F. 

Muza Prosecutes the Scheme of Conquest — Siege of 
Saragossa — Complete Subj ugation of Spain . 

THE dissensions, which for a time had dis- 
tracted the conquering army, being ap- 
peased, and the Arabian generals being 
apparently once more reconciled, Muza, 
as commander-in-chief, proceeded to complete 
the enterprise by subjugating the northern parts 
of Spain. The same expeditious mode of con- 
quest that had been sagaciously adopted by 
Taric was still pursued. The troops were 
lightly armed, and freed from every superflu- 
ous incumbrance. Each horseman, beside his 
arms, carried a small sack of provisions, a cop- 
per vessel in which to cook them, and a skin 
which served him for surcoat and for bed. The 
infantry carried nothing but their arms. To 
each regiment or squadron was allowed a limited 
number of sumpter-mules and attendants, barely 

80 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 81 

enough to carry their necessary baggage and 
supplies ; nothing was permitted that could 
needlessly diminish the number of righting men, 
delay their rapid movements, or consume their 
provisions. Strict orders were again issued, 
prohibiting, on pain of death, all plunder ex- 
cepting the camp of an enemy or cities given 
up to pillage.* 

The armies now took their several lines of 
march. That under Taric departed towards 
the northeast ; beating up the country towards 
the source of the Tagus, traversing the chain 
of Iberian or Arragonian Mountains, and pour- 
ing down into the plains and valleys watered 
by the Ebro. It was wonderful to see, in so 
brief a space of time, such a vast and difficult 
country penetrated and subdued, and the invad- 
ing army, like an inundating flood, pouring its 
streams into the most remote recesses. 

While Taric was thus sweeping the country 
to the northeast, Muza departed in an opposite 
direction ; yet purposing to meet him, and to 
join their forces in the north. Bending his 
course westwardly, he made a circuit behind 
the mountains, and then, advancing into the 
open country, displayed his banners before 
Salamanaca, which surrendered without resist- 
ance. From hence he continued on towards 
* Conde pt. i, c. 15. 



82 Spanisb papers 



Astorga, receiving the terrified submission of 
the land ; then turning up the Valley of the 
Douro, he ascended the course of that famous 
river towards the east ; crossed the Sierra de 
Moncayo, and, arriving on the banks of the 
Ebro, marched down along its stream, until he 
approached the strong city of Saragossa, the 
citadel of all that part of Spain. In this place 
had taken refuge many of the most valiant of 
the Gothic warriors — the remnants of armies 
and fugitives from conquered cities. It was 
one of the last rallying-points of the land. 
When Muza arrived, Taric had already been 
for some time before the place, laying close 
siege ; the inhabitants were pressed by famine, 
and had suffered great losses in repeated com- 
bats ; but there was a spirit and obstinacy in 
their resistance surpassing anything that had 
yet been witnessed by the invaders. 

Muza now took command of the siege, and 
ordered a general assault upon the walls. The 
Moslems planted their scaling-ladders, and 
mounted with their accustomed intrepidity, but 
were vigorously resisted ; nor could all their 
efforts obtain them a footing upon the battle- 
ments. While they w T ere thus assailing the 
walls, Count Julian ordered a heap of combusti- 
bles to be placed against one of the gates, and 
set on fire. The inhabitants attempted in vain, 



XLhe Subjugation ot Spain 83 

from the barbican, to extinguish the flames. 
They burned so fiercely that in a little while 
the gate fell from the hinges. Count Julian 
galloped into the city, mounted upon a power- 
ful charger, himself and his steed all covered 
with mail. He was followed by three hundred 
of his partisans, and supported by Magued the 
renegado, with a troop of horse. 

The inhabitants disputed every street and 
public square ; they made barriers of dead 
bodies, fighting behind these ramparts of their 
slaughtered countrymen. Every window and 
roof was filled with combatants ; the very wo- 
men and children joined in the desperate fight, 
throwing down stones and missiles of all kinds, 
and scalding water upon the enemy. 

The battle raged until the hour of vespers, 
when the principal inhabitants held a parley, 
and capitulated for a surrender. Muza had 
been incensed at their obstinate resistance, 
which had cost the lives of so many of his 
soldiers ; he knew, also, that in the city were 
collected the riches of many of the towns of 
eastern Spain. He demanded, therefore, be- 
side the usual terms, a heavy sum to be paid 
down by the citizens, called the contribution 
of blood ; as by this they redeemed themselves 
from the edge of the sword. The people were 
obliged to comply. They collected all the 



84 Spanieb fl>apers 



jewels of their richest families, and all the or- 
naments of their temples, and laid them at the 
feet of Muza ; and placed in his power many 
of their noblest youths as hostages. A strong 
garrison was then appointed, and thus the 
fierce city of Saragossa was subdued to the 
yoke of the conqueror. 

The Arab generals pursued their conquests 
even to the foot of the Pyrenees ; Taric then 
descended along the course of the Ebro, and 
continued along the Mediterranean coast ; sub- 
duing the famous city of Valencia, with its 
rich and beautiful domains, and carrying the 
success of his arms even to Denia. 

Muza undertook with his host a wider range 
of conquest. He overcame the cities of Barce- 
lona, Gerona, and others that lay on the skirts 
of the eastern mountains ; then crossing into 
the land of the Franks, he captured the city 
of Narbonne — in a temple of which he found 
seven equestrian images of silver, which he 
brought off as trophies of his victory.* Re- 
turning into Spain, he scoured its northern 
regions along Gallicia and the Asturias ; passed 
triumphantly through L,usitania, and arrived 
once more in Andalusia, covered with laurels 
and enriched with immense spoils. 

Thus was completed the subjugation of un- 
* Conde, pt. i, c. 16. 



Hbe Subjugation of Spain 85 

happy Spain. All its cities, and fortresses, and 
strongholds, were in the hands of the Saracens, 
excepting some of the wild mountain tracts 
that bordered the Atlantic and extended tow- 
ards the north. Here, then, the story of the 
conquest might conclude, but that the inde- 
fatigable chronicler, Fray Antonio Agapida, 
goes on to record the fate of those persons 
who were most renowned in the enterprise. 
We shall follow his steps, and avail ourselves 
of his information, laboriously collected from 
various sources ; and, truly, the story of each of 
the actors in this great historical drama bears 
with it its striking moral, and is full of admo- 
nition and instruction. 




( ^^^^^^^^^^^)(a^^^ > 



(^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ > 



dbapter $m. 

Feud Between the Arab Generals — They are Sum- 
moned to Appear Before the Caliph at Damascus — 
Reception of Taric. 

THK heart of Muza ben Nosier was now 
lifted up, for he considered his glory 
complete. He held a sway that might 
have gratified the ambition of the 
proudest sovereign, for all western Africa and 
the newly acquired peninsula of Spain were 
obedient to his rule ; and he was renowned 
throughout all the lands of Islam as the 
great conqueror of the West. But sudden 
humiliation awaited him in the very moment 
of his highest triumph. 

Notwithstanding the outward reconciliation 
of Muza and Taric, a deep and implacable 
hostility continued to exist between them ; and 
each had busy partisans who distracted the 
armies by their feuds. Letters were inces- 
santly despatched to Damascus by either party, 

86 



£be Subjugation of Spain 87 

exalting the merits of their own leader and de- 
crying his rival. Taric was represented as rash, 
arbitary, and prodigal, and as injuring the 
discipline of the army, by sometimes treating 
it with extreme rigor and at other times giving 
way to licentiousness and profusion. Muza was 
lauded as prudent, sagacious, dignified, and sys- 
tematic in his dealings. The friends of Taric, 
on the other hand, represented him as brave, 
generous, and high-minded ; scrupulous in re- 
serving to his sovereign his rightful share of 
the spoils, but distributing the rest bounteously 
among his soldiers, and thus increasing their 
alacrity in the service. "Muza, on the con- 
trary,'' said they, " is grasping and insatiable ; 
he levies intolerable contributions and collects 
immense treasure, but sweeps it all into his 
own coffers." 

The caliph was at length wearied out by 
these complaints, and feared that the safety of 
the cause might be endangered by the dissen- 
sions of the rival generals. He sent letters, 
therefore, ordering them to leave suitable per- 
sons in charge of their several commands, and 
appear, forthwith, before him at Damascus. 

Such was the greeting from his sovereign 
that awaited Muza on his return from the con- 
quest of northern Spain. It was a grievous 
blow to a man of his' pride and ambition ; but 



88 Spanisb papers 



he prepared instantly to obey. He returned 
to Cordova, collecting by the way all the treas- 
ures he had deposited in various places. At 
that city he called a meeting of his principal 
officers, and of the leaders of the faction of 
apostate Christians, and made them all do 
homage to his son Abdalasis, as emir or gov- 
ernor of Spain. He gave this favorite son 
much sage advice for the regulation of his con- 
duct, and left with him his nephew, Ayub, a 
man greatly honored by the Moslems for his 
wisdom and discretion ; exhorting Abdalasis 
to consult him on all occasions, and consider 
him as his bosom counsellor. He made a part- 
ing address to his adherents, full of cheerful 
confidence ; assuring them that he would soon 
return, loaded with new favors and honors by 
his sovereign, and enabled to reward them all 
for their faithful services. 

When Muza sallied forth from Cordova, to 
repair to Damascus, his cavalgada appeared 
like the sumptuous pageant of some oriental 
potentate ; for he had numerous guards and 
attendants splendidly armed and arrayed, to- 
gether with four hundred hostages, who were 
youthful cavaliers of the noblest families of the 
Goths, and a great number of captives of both 
sexes, chosen for their beauty, and intended 
as presents for the caliph. Then there was a 



Zbe Subjugation of Spain 89 

vast train of beasts of burden, laden with the 
plunder of Spain ; for he took with him all the 
wealth he had collected in his conquests and 
all the share that had been set apart for his 
sovereign. With this display of trophies and 
spoils, showing the magnificence of the land 
he had conquered, he looked forward with con- 
fidence to silence the calumnies of his foes. 

As he traversed the valley of the Guadal- 
quivir he often turned and looked back wist- 
fully upon Cordova ; and, at the distance of a 
league, when about to lose sight of it, he 
checked his steed upon the summit of a hill, 
and gazed for a long time upon its palaces and 
towers. " O Cordova ! " exclaimed he, "great 
and glorious art thou among cities, and abun- 
dant in all delights. With grief and sorrow do 
I part from thee, for sure I am it would give 
me length of days to abide within thy pleasant 
walls !" When he had uttered these words, 
say the Arabian chronicles, he resumed his 
wayfaring ; but his eyes were bent upon the 
ground, and frequent sighs bespoke the heavi- 
ness of his heart. 

Embarking at Cadiz, he passed over to 
Africa with all his people and effects, to regu- 
late his government in that country. He di- 
vided the command between his sons, Abdelola 
and Meruan, leaving the former in Tangier 



90 Spaniab papers 



and the latter in Cairvan. Thus having se- 
cured, as he thought, the power and prosperity 
of his family, by placing all his sons as his 
lieutenants in the country he had conquered, 
he departed for Syria, bearing with him the 
sumptuous spoils of the West. 

While Muza was thus disposing of his com- 
mands, and moving cumbrously under the 
weight of wealth, the veteran Taric was more 
speedy and alert in obeying the summons of the 
caliph. He knew the importance, where com- 
plaints were to be heard, of being first in pres- 
ence of the judge ; besides, he was ever ready to 
march at a moment's warning and had nothing 
to impede him in his movements. The spoils 
he had made in his conquests had either been 
shared among his soldiers, or yielded up to Muza, 
or squandered away with open-handed profu- 
sion. He appeared in Syria with a small train 
of war-worn followers, and had no other 
trophies to show than his battered armor and a 
body seamed with scars. He was received, 
however, with rapture by the multitude, who 
crowded to behold one of those conquerors of 
the West, whose wonderful achievements were 
the theme of every tongue. They were 
charmed with his gaunt and martial air, his 
hard, sunburnt features and his scathed eye. 
"All hail," cried they, "to the Sword of 



Zbe Subjugation of Spain 9* 

Islam, the terror of unbelievers ! Behold the 
true model of a warrior, who despises gain, 
and seeks for nought but glory. 

Taric was graciously received by the caliph, 
who asked tidings of his victories. He gave 
a soldier-like account of his actions, frank and 
full, without any feigned modesty, yet without 
vainglory. " Commander of the Faithful," 
said he, * ' I bring thee no silver, nor gold, nor 
precious stones, nor captives, for what spoils I 
did not share with my soldiers I gave up to 
Muza as my commander. How I have con- 
ducted myself the honorable warriors of thy 
host will tell thee ; nay, let our enemies, the 
Christians, be asked if I have ever shown my- 
self cowardly , or cruel, or rapacious.' ' 

" What kind of people are these Chris- 
tians? " demanded the caliph. 

" The Spaniards,' ' replied, Taric, " are lions 
in their castles, eagles in their saddles, but 
mere women when on foot. When vanquished 
they escape like goats to the mountains, for 
they need not see the ground they tread on." 

" And tell me of the Moors of Barbary.' , 

" They are like Arabs in the fierceness and 
dexterity of their attacks and in their knowl- 
edge of the stratagems of war ; they resemble 
them, too, in feature, in fortitude, and hospi- 
tality ; but they are the most perfidious people 



9 2 



Spantsb papers 



upon earth, and never regard promise or 
plighted faith." 

' ' And the people of Afranc ; what sayest 
thou of them ? ' ' 

" They are infinite in number, rapid in the 
onset, fierce in battle, but confused and head- 
long in flight." 

' ' And how fared it with thee among these 
people ? Did they sometimes vanquish thee ? ' ' 

' ' Never, by Allah ! ' ' cried Taric, with hon- 
est warmth ; ' ' never did a banner of mine fly 
the field. Though the enemy were two to one, 
my Moslems never shunned the combat ! ' : 

The caliph was well pleased with the martial 
bluntness of the veteran, and showed him great 
honor ; and wherever Taric appeared he was 
the idol of the populace. 





Cbaptet £ W, 

Muza Arrives at Damascus — His Interview with the Ca- 
liph — The Table of Solomon — A Rigorous Sentence. 

SHORTLY after the arrival of Taric el 
Tuerto at Damascus the caliph fell 
dangerously ill, insomuch that his life 
was despaired of. During his illness, 
tidings were brought that Muza ben Nosier 
had entered Syria with a vast cavalcade, bear- 
ing all the riches and trophies gained in the 
western conquests. Now Suleiman ben Abdel- 
melec, brother to the caliph, was successor to 
the throne, and he saw that his brother had 
not long to live, and wished to grace the com- 
mencement of his reign by this triumphant 
display of the spoils of Christendom ; he sent 
messengers, therefore, to Muza, saying: "The 
caliph is ill and cannot receive thee at present ; 
I pray thee tarry on the road until his re- 
covery.' ' Muza, however, paid no attention 
to the messages of Suleiman, but rather has- 

93 



94 Spanisb papers 



tened his march to arrive before the death of 
the caliph. And Suleiman treasured up his 
conduct in his heart. 

Muza entered the city in a kind of triumph, 
with a long train of horses and mules and 
camels laden with treasure, and with the four 
hundred sons of Gothic nobles as hostages, each 
decorated with a diadem and a girdle of gold ; 
and with one hundred Christian damsels, whose 
beauty dazzled all beholders. As he passed 
through the streets he ordered purses of gold 
to be thrown among the populace, who rent 
the air with acclamations. "Behold," cried 
they, "the veritable conqueror of the unbe- 
lievers ! Behold the true model of a conqueror, 
who brings home wealth to his country ! ' ' 
And they heaped benedictions on the head of 
Muza. 

The Caliph Waled Almanzor rose from his 
couch of illness to receive the emir, who, when 
he repaired to the palace, filled one of its great 
courts with treasures of all kinds ; the halls, 
too, were thronged with youthful hostages, 
magnificently attired, and with Christian dam- 
sels, lovely as the houris of paradise. When 
the caliph demanded an account of the con- 
quest of Spain, he gave it with great eloquence; 
but, in describing the various victories, he made 
no mention of the name of Taric, but spoke 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 95 

as if everything had been effected by himself. 
He then presented the spoils of the Christians 
as if they had been all taken by his own hands ; 
and when he delivered to the caliph the mirac- 
ulous table of Solomon, he dwelt with anima- 
tion on the virtues of that inestimable talisman. 
Upon this, Taric, who was present, could no 
longer hold his peace. " Commander of the 
Faithful/ ' said he, "examine this precious 
table, if any part be wan ting.' ' The caliph 
examined the table, which was composed of a 
single emerald, and he found that one foot was 
supplied by a foot of gold. The caliph turned 
to Muza, and said : ' ' Where is the other foot 
of the table ? ' ' Muza answered : * ' I know 
not ; one foot was wanting when it came into 
my hands." Upon this, Taric drew from be- 
neath his robe a foot of emerald of like work- 
manship to the others, and fitting exactly to 
the table : ' ' Behold, O Commander of the Faith- 
ful ! " cried he, " a proof of the real finder 
of the table ; and so is it with the greater part 
of the spoils exhibited by Muza as trophies of 
his achievements. It was I who gained them, 
and who captured the cities in which they were 
found. If you want proof, demand of these 
Christian cavaliers here present, most of whom 
I captured ; demand of those Moslem warriors 
who aided me in my battles." 



96 Spanieb ©apers 



Muza was confounded for a moment, but 
attempted to vindicate himself. "I spake," 
said he, ' ' as the chief of your armies, under 
whose orders and banners this conquest was 
achieved. The actions of the soldiers are the 
actions of the commander. In a great victory 
it is not supposed that the chief of the army 
takes all the captives, or kills all the slain, or 
gathers all the booty, though all are enumer- 
ated in the records of his triumph." The 
caliph, however, was wroth, and heeded not 
his words. ' ' You have vaunted your own de- 
serts," said he, "and have forgotten the de- 
serts of others ; nay, you have sought to 
debase another, who has loyally served his 
sovereign ; the reward of your envy and covet- 
ousness be upon your head ! " So saying, he 
bestowed a great part of the spoils upon Taric 
and the other chiefs, but gave nothing to Muza, 
and the veteran retired amidst the sneers and 
murmurs of those present. 

In a few days the Caliph Waled died, and 
was succeeded by his brother Suleiman. The 
new sovereign cherished a deep resentment 
against Muza for having presented himself at 
court contrary to his command, and he listened 
readily to the calumnies of his enemies — for 
Muza had been too illustrious in his deeds not 
to have many enemies. All now took courage 



Gbe Subjugation ot Spain 97 

when they found he was out of favor, and they 
heaped slanders on his head ; charging him 
with embezzling much of the share of the 
booty belonging to the sovereign. The new 
caliph lent a willing ear to the accusation, and 
commanded him to render up all that he had 
pillaged from Spain. The loss of his riches 
might have been born with fortitude by Muza, 
but the stigma upon his fame filled his heart 
with bitterness. " I have been a faithful ser- 
vant to the throne from my youth upwards,'' 
said he, " and now am I degraded in my old 
age. I care not for wealth, I care not for life, 
but let me not be deprived of that honor which 
God has bestowed upon me ! ' ' 

The caliph was still more exasperated at his 
repining, and stripped him of his commands, 
confiscated his effects, fined him two hundred 
thousand pesants of gold, and ordered that he 
should be scourged and exposed to the noon- 
tide sun, and afterwards thrown into prison.* 
The populace, also, reviled and scoffed at him 
in his misery, and as they beheld him led forth 
to the public gaze, and fainting in the sun, 
they pointed at him with derision, and ex- 
claimed : " Behold the envious man and im- 
postor ; this is he who pretended to have 
conquered the land of the unbelievers ! " 

* Conde, pt. i, c. 17. 

7 




Cbapter ft). 

Conduct of Abdalasis as Bmir of Spain. 

T T 7 HIIyE these events were happening 
\/\/ in Syria, the youthful Abdalasis, 

▼ V the son of Muza, remained as emir 
or governor of Spain. He was of 
a generous and benignant disposition, but he 
was open and confiding, and easily led away 
by the opinions of those he loved. Fortunatety 
his father had left with him, as a bosom coun- 
sellor, the discreet Ayub, the nephew of Muza ; 
aided by his advice, he for some time adminis- 
tered the public affairs prudently and prosper- 
ously. 

Not long after the departure of his father, he 
received a letter from him, written while on his 
journey to Syria ; it was to the following pur- 
port : 



" Beloved son ; honor of thy lineage ; Allah guard 
thee from all harm and peril ! Listen to the words of 



ftbe Subjugation of Spain 99 

thy father. Avoid all treachery, though it should 
promise great advantage, and trust not in him who 
counsels it, even though he should be a brother. 
The company of traitors put far from thee ; for how 
canst thou be certain that he who has proved false to 
others will prove true to thee ? Beware, O my son, 
of the seductions of love. It is an idle passion, which 
enfeebles the heart and blinds the judgment ; it ren- 
ders the mighty weak, and makes slaves of princes. 
If thou shouldst discover any foible of a vicious kind 
springing up in thy nature, pluck it forth, whatever 
pang it cost thee. Bvery error, while new, may easily 
be weeded out, but if suffered to take root, it flour- 
ishes and bears seed and produces fruit an hundred- 
fold. Follow these counsels, O son of my affections, 
and thou shalt live secure.' ' 



Abdalasis meditated upon this letter, for 
some part of it seemed to contain a mystery 
which he could not comprehend. He called 
to him his cousin and counsellor, the discreet 
Ayub. "What means n^ father," said he, 
' ' in cautioning me against treachery and 
treason? Does he think my nature so base 
that it could descend to such means ? ' ' 

Ayub read the letter attentively. " Thy 
father," said he, " would put thee on thy guard 
against the traitors Julian and Oppas, and 
those of their party who surround thee. What 
love canst thou expect from men who have 
been unnatural to their kindred, and what 



.fC. 



ioo Spanish papers 



loyalty from wretches who have betrayed their 
country ? ' ' 

Abdalasis was satisfied with the interpreta- 
tion, and he acted accordingly. He had long 
loathed all communion with these men, for 
there is nothing which the open, ingenuous 
nature so much abhors as duplicity and trea- 
son. Policy, too, no longer required their 
agency ; they had rendered their infamous ser- 
vice, and had no longer a country to betra}' ; 
but they might turn and betray their employ- 
ers. Abdalasis, therefore, removed them to a 
distance from his court, and placed them in 
situations where they could do no harm, and 
he warned his commanders from being in any- 
wise influenced by their counsels or aided by 
their arms. 

He now confided entirely in his Arabian 
troops, and in the Moorish squadrons from 
Africa, and with their aid he completed the 
conquest of Lusitania to the ultimate parts of 
the Algarbe, or west, even to the shores of the 
great Ocean sea.* From hence he sent his 
generals to overrun all those vast and rugged 

* Algarbe, or Algarbia, in Arabic signifies the west, 
as Axarkia is the east, Algufia the north, and Aquibla 
the south. This will serve to explain some of the 
geographical names on the peninsula which are of 
Arabian origin. 



Gbe Subjugation ot Spain 101 

sierras, which rise like ramparts along the 
ocean borders of the peninsula ; and they car- 
ried the standard of Islam in triumph even to 
the Mountains of Biscay, collecting all manner 
of precious spoil. 

" It is not enough, O Abdalasis," said Ayub, 
" that we conquer and rule this country with 
the sword ; if we wish our dominion to be 
secure, we must cultivate the arts of peace, 
and study to secure the confidence and promote 
the welfare of the people we have conquered." 
Abdalasis relished counsel which accorded so 
well with his own beneficent nature. He en- 
deavored, therefore, to allay the ferment and 
confusion of the conquest ; forbade, under 
rigorous punishment, all wanton spoil or op- 
pression, and protected the native inhabitants 
in the enjoyment and cultivation of their lands, 
and the pursuit of all useful occupations. By 
the advice of Ayub, also, he encouraged great 
numbers of industrious Moors and Arabs to 
emigrate from Africa, and gave them houses 
and lands ; thus introducing a peaceful and 
Mahometan population in the conquered prov- 
inces. 

The good effect of the counsels of Ayub were 
soon apparent. Instead of a sudden but tran- 
sient influx of wealth, made by the ruin of the 
land, which left the country desolate, a regular 



io2 Spanieb papers 



and permanent revenue sprang up, produced 
by reviving prosperity, and gathered without 
violence. Abdalasis ordered it to be faithfully 
collected, and deposited in coffers by public 
officers appointed in each province for the pur- 
pose ; and the whole was sent by ten deputies 
to Damascus to be laid at the feet of the caliph ; 
not as the spoils of a vanquished country, but 
as the peaceful trophies of a wisely adminis- 
tered government. 

The common herd of warlike adventurers, 
the mere men of the sword, who had thronged 
to Spain for the purpose of ravage and rapine, 
were disappointed at being thus checked in 
their career, and at seeing the reign of terror 
and violence drawing to a close. What man- 
ner of leader is this said they, who forbids us 
to make spoil of the enemies of Islam, and to 
enjoy the land we have wrested from the un- 
believers ? The partisans of Julian, also, whis 
pered their calumnies. "Behold," said they, 
' ' with what kindness he treats the enemies of 
your faith ; all the Christians who have borne 
arms against you, and withstood your entrance 
into the land, are favored and protected ; but 
it is enough for a Christian to have befriended 
the cause of the Moslems to be singled out by 
Abdalasis for persecution, and to be driven 
with scorn from his presence. ' ' 



XLbc Subjugation of Spain 



103 



These insinuations fermented the discontent 
of the turbulent and rapacious among the Mos- 
lems, but all the friends of peace and order and 
good government applauded the moderation of 
the }^outhful emir. 





Cbapter £ ID1. 

Iyoves of Abdalasis and Bxilona. 

ABDALASIS had fixed his seat of govern- 
ment at Seville, as permitting easy and 
frequent communications with the 
coast of Africa. His palace was of 
noble architecture, with delightful gardens ex- 
tending to the banks of the Guadalquivir. In 
a part of this palace resided many of the most 
beautiful Christian females, who were detained 
as captives, or rather hostages, to insure the 
tranquillity of the country. Those who were 
of noble rank were entertained in luxury and 
magnificence ; slaves were appointed to attend 
upon them, and they were arrayed in the rich- 
est apparel and decorated with the most pre- 
ciousjewels. Those of tender age were taught 
all graceful accomplishments ; and even where 
tasks were imposed, they were of the most 
elegant and agreeable kind. They embroidered, 
they sang, they danced, and passed their times 

104 



Zbe Subjugation of Spain 105 

in pleasing revelry. Many were lulled by this 
easy and voluptuous existence ; the scenes of 
horror through which they had passed were 
gradually effaced from their minds, and a desire 
was often awakened of rendering themselves 
pleasing in the eyes of their conquerors. 

After his return from his campaign in Lusi- 
tania and during the intervals of public duty, 
Abdalasis solaced himself in the repose of this 
palace, and in the society of these Christian 
captives. He remarked one among them who 
ever set apart, and neither joined in the labors 
nor sports of her companions. 

She was lofty in her demeanor, and the others 
always paid her reverence ; yet sorrow had 
given softness to her charms, and rendered her 
beauty touching to the heart. Abdalasis found 
her one day in the garden with her companions ; 
they had adorned their heads with flowers, and 
were singing the songs of their country, but 
she sat by herself and wept. The youthful emir 
was moved by her tears, and accosted her in gen- 
tle accents : " O fairest of women ! ' • said he, 
" why dost thou weep, and why is thy heart 
troubled ? " " Alas ! " replied she, " have I 
not cause to weep, seeing how sad is my con- 
dition, and how great the height from which I 
have fallen ? In me you behold the wretched 
Kxilona, but lately the wife of Roderick and 



io6 Spanieb papers 



the Queen of Spain, now a captive and a slave ! " 
and, having said these words, she cast her 
eyes upon the earth, and her tears began to 
flow afresh. 

The generous feelings of Abdalasis were 
aroused at the sight of beauty and royalty in 
tears. He gave orders that Exilona should be 
entertained in a style befitting her former rank ; 
he appointed a train of female attendants to 
wait upon her, and a guard of honor to protect 
her from all intrusion. All the time that he 
could spare from public concerns was passed 
in her society ; and he even neglected his 
divan, and suffered his counsellors to attend 
in vain, while he lingered in the apartments 
and gardens of the palace, listening to the voice 
of Exilona. 

The discreet Ayub saw the danger into which 
he was falling. " O Abdalasis," said he, "re- 
member the words of thy father. * Beware, 
my son/ said he, 'of the seductions of love. 
It renders the mighty weak, and makes slaves 
of princes ! ' " A blush kindled on the cheek 
of Abdalasis, and he was silent for a moment. 
" Why," said he, at length, " do you seek to 
charge me with such weakness? It is one 
thing to be infatuated by the charms of a 
woman, and another to be touched by her mis-* 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 107 

fortunes. It is the duty of my station to con- 
sole a princess who has been reduced to the 
lowest humiliation by the triumphs of cur arms. 
In doing so I do but listen to the dictates of 
true magnanimity." 

Ayub was silent, but his brow was clouded, 
and for once Abdalasis parted in discontent 
from his counsellor. In proportion as he was 
dissatisfied with others or with himself, he 
sought the society of Exilona, for there was a 
charm in her conversation that banished every 
care. He daily became more and more enam- 
oured, and Exilona gradually ceased to weep, 
and began to listen with secret pleasure to the 
words of her Arab lover. When, however, he 
sought to urge his passion, she recollected the 
light estimation in which her sex was held by 
the followers of Mahomet, and assumed a coun- 
tenance grave and severe. 

" Fortune,' ' said she, "has cast me at thy 
feet ; behold I am thy captive and thy spoil. 
But though my person is in thy power, my 
soul is unsubdued ; and know that, should I 
lack force to defend my honor, I have resolu- 
tion to wash out all stain upon it with my 
blood. I trust, however, in thy courtesy as a 
cavalier to respect me in my reverses, remem- 
bering what I have been, and that though the 



io8 Spanisb papers 



crown has been wrested from my brow, the 
royal blood still warms within my veins." * 

The lofty spirit of Exilona, and her proud 
repulse, served but to increase the passion of 
Abdalasis. He besought her to unite her 
destiny with his, and share his state and power, 
promising that she should have no rival nor 
copartner in his heart. Whatever scruples the 
captive queen might originally have felt to a 
union with one of the conquerors of her lord, 
and an enemy of her adopted faith, they were 
easily vanquished, and she became the bride 
of Abdalasis. He would fain have persuaded 
her to return to the faith of her fathers ; but 
though of Moorish origin, and brought up in 
the doctrines of Islam, she was too thorough a 
convert to Christianity to consent, and looked 
back with disgust upon a religion that ad- 
mitted a plurality of wives. 

When the sage Ayub heard of the resolution 
of Abdalasis to espouse Exilona he was in 
despair. " Alas, my cousin ! " said he, " what 
infatuation possesses thee ? Hast thou then 
entirely forgotten the letter of thy father ? ' Be- 
ware, my son,' said he, i of love ; it is an idle 
passion, which enfeebles the heart and blinds 
the judgment.' " But Abdalasis interrupted 

* Faxardo, Corona Gothica, t. i, p. 492 Joan, Mar. 
de Reb, Hisp., 1. 6, c. 27. 



ftbe Subjugation of Spain 



109 



him with impatience. ' ' My father, ' ' said he, 
' * spake but of the blandishments of wanton 
love ; against these I am secured by my vir- 
tuous passion for Exilona." 

Ayub would fain have impressed upon him 
the dangers he ran of awakening suspicion in 
the caliph, and discontent among the Moslems, 
by wedding the queen of the conquered Roder- 
ick, and one who was an enemy to the religion 
of Mahomet ; but the youthful lover only 
listened to his passion. Their nuptials were 
celebrated at Seville with great pomp and re- 
joicings, and he gave his bride the name of 
Omalisam ; that is to say, she of the precious 
jewels*; but she continued to be known 
among the Christians by the name of Exilona^ 

* Conde, pt. 1, c. 17. 





(Tbapter £DI1. 



Fate of Abdalasis and Bxilona — Death of Muza. 



POSSESSION, instead of cooling the pas- 
sion of Abdalasis, only added to its 
force ; he became blindly enamoured 
of his beautiful bride, and consulted 
her will in all things ; nay, having lost all 
relish for the advice of the discreet Ayub, he 
was even guided by the counsels of his wife 
in the affairs of government. Exilona, unfor- 
tunately, had once been a queen, and she 
could not remember her regal glories without 
regret. She saw that Abdalasis had great 
power in the land, — greater even than had been 
possessed by the Gothic kings, — but she con- 
sidered it as wanting in true splendor until his 
brow should be encircled with the outward 
badge of royalty. One day, when they were 
alone in the palace of Seville, and the heart of 
Abdalasis was given up to tenderness, she 
addressed him in fond yet timid accents : 

no 



TLhc Subjugation of Spain in 

"Will not my lord be offended,' ' said she, 
"if I make an unwelcome request?" Abda- 
lasis regarded her with a smile. "What 
canst thou ask of me, Exilona," said he, " that 
it would not be a happiness for me to grant ? " 
Then Exilona produced a crown of gold, spark- 
ling with jewels, which had belonged to the 
king, Don Roderick, and said : " Behold, thou 
art king in authority ; be so in thy outward 
state. There is majesty and glory in a crown ; 
it gives a sanctity to power. ' ' Then putting 
the crown upon his head, she held a mirror 
before him, that he might behold the majesty 
of his appearance. Abadalasis chid her fondly, 
and put the crown away from him, but Exilona 
persisted in her prayer. ' ' Never, ' ' said she^ 
" has there been a king in Spain that did not 
wear a crown. ' ' So Abdalasis suffered himself 
to be beguiled by the blandishments of his wife, 
and to be invested with the crown and sceptre 
and other signs of royalty.* 

It is affirmed by ancient and discreet chroni- 
clers, that Abdalasis only assumed this royal 
state in the privacy of his palace, and to gratify 
the eye of his youthful bride ; but where was 
a secret ever confined within the walls of a 
palace ? The assumption of the insignia of the 

* Chron. Gen. de Alonzo elSabio, p. 3. Joan, Mar. 
de Reb. Hisp., lib. 6, c. 27. Conde, pt. i, c. 19. 



ii2 Spanisb papers 



ancient Gothic kings was soon rumored about, 
and caused the most violent suspicions. The 
Moslems had already felt jealous of the ascen- 
dency of this beautiful woman, and it was now 
confidently asserted that Abdalasis, won by 
her persuasions, had secretly turned Christian. 

The enemies of Abdalasis, those whose rapa- 
cious spirits had been kept in check by the 
beneficence of his rule, seized upon this occa- 
sion to ruin him. They sent letters to Damas- 
cus, accusing him of apostasy, and of an inten- 
tion to seize upon the throne in right of his 
wife, Exilona, as widow of the late King 
Roderick. It was added, that the Christians 
were prepared to flock to his standard as the 
only means of regaining ascendency in their 
country. 

These accusations arrived at Damascus just 
after the accession of the sanguinary Suleiman 
to the throne, and in the height of his persecu- 
tion of the unfortunate Muza. The caliph 
waited for no proofs in confirmation ; he im- 
mediately sent private orders that Abdalasis 
should be put to death, and that the same fate 
should be dealt to his two brothers who gov- 
erned in Africa, as a sure means of crushing 
the conspiracy of this ambitious family. 

The mandate for the death of Abdalasis was 
sent to Abhilbar ben Obeidah and Zeyd ben 



Gbe Subjugation of Spain 113 

Nabegat, both of whom had been cherished 
friends of Muza, and had lived in intimate fa- 
vor and companionship with his son. When 
they read the fatal parchment, the scroll fell 
from their trembling hands. " Can such hos- 
tility exist against the family of Muza ? " ex- 
claimed they. " Is this the reward for such 
great and glorious services ? ' ' The cavaliers 
remained for some time plunged in horror and 
consternation. The order, however, w 7 as ab- 
solute, and left them no discretion. " Allah is 
great,' ' said they, " and commands us to obey 
our sovereign.'' So they prepared to execute 
the bloody mandate with the blind fidelity of 
Moslems. 

It was necessary to proceed with caution. 
The open and magnanimous character of Ab- 
dalasis had won the hearts of a great part of 
the soldiery, and his magnificence pleased the 
cavaliers who formed his guard ; it was feared, 
therefore, that a sanguinary opposition w T ould 
be made to any attempt upon his person. The 
rabble, however, had been embittered against 
him from his having restrained their depreda- 
tions, and because they thought him an apos- 
tate in his heart, secretly bent upon betraying 
them to the Christains. While, therefore, the 
two officers made vigilant dispositions to check 
any movement on the part of the soldiery, they 

8 



H4 Spanieb papers 



let loose the blind fury of the populace by pub- 
lishing the fatal mandate. In a moment the 
city was in a ferment, and there was a ferocious 
emulation who should be first to execute the 
orders of the caliph. 

Abdalasis was at this time at a palace in the 
country not far from Seville, commanding a 
delightful view of the fertile plain of the 
Guadalquivir. Hither he was accustomed to 
retire from the tumult of the court, and to pass 
his time among groves and fountains and the 
sweet repose of gardens, in the society of Exi- 
lona. It was the dawn of day, the hour of 
early prayer, when the furious populace ar- 
rived at this retreat. Abdalasis was offering 
up his orisons in a small mosque which he had 
erected for the use of the neighboring peas- 
antry. Exilona was in a chapel in the interior 
of the palace, where her confessor, a holy friar, 
was performing mass. They were both sur- 
prised at their devotions, and dragged forth by 
the hands of the rabble. A few guards, who 
attended at the palace, would have made de- 
fense, but they were overawed by the sight of 
the written mandate of the caliph. 

The captives were borne in triumph to Se- 
ville. All the beneficent virtues of Abdalasis 
were forgotten ; nor had the charms of Exi- 
lona any effect in softening the hearts of the 



XLhc Subjugation of Spain 115 

populace. The brutal eagerness to shed blood, 
which seems inherent in human nature, was 
awakened ; and woe to the victims when that 
eagerness is quickened by religious hate. The 
illustrious couple, adorned with all the graces 
of youth and beauty, were hurried to a scaffold 
in the great square of Seville, and there be- 
headed amidst the shouts and execrations of 
an infatuated multitude. Their bodies were 
left exposed upon the ground, and would have 
been devoured by dogs, had they not been 
gathered at night by some friendly hand, and 
poorly interred in one of the courts of their 
late dwelling. 

Thus terminated the loves and lives of Ab- 
dalasis and Exilona, in the year of the Incar- 
nation seven hundred and fourteen. Their 
names were held sacred as martyrs to the 
Christian faith ; but many read in their un- 
timely fate a lesson against ambition and vain- 
glory ; having sacrificed real power and sub- 
stantial rule to the glittering bauble of a crown. 

The head of Abdalasis was embalmed and 
inclosed in a casket, and sent to Syria to the 
cruel Suleiman. The messenger who bore it 
overtook the caliph as he was performing a 
pilgrimage to Mecca. Muza was among the 
courtiers in his train, having been released from 
prison. On opening the casket and regarding 



n6 Spanteb papers 



its contents, the eyes of the tyrant sparkled 
with malignant satisfaction. Calling the un- 
happy father to his side, " Muza," said he, 
"dost thou know this head?" The veteran 
recognized the features of his beloved son, and 
turned his face away with anguish. "Yes! 
well do I know it," replied he ; " and may the 
curse of God light upon him who has destroyed 
a better man than himself." 

Without adding another word, he retired to 
Mount Deran, a prey to devouring melancholy. 
He shortly after received tidings of the death 
of his two sons, whom he had left in the gov- 
ernment of western Africa, and who had fallen 
victims to the jealous suspicions of the caliph. 

His advanced age was not proof against these 
repeated blows and this utter ruin of his late 
prosperous family, and he sank into his grave 
sorrowing and broken-hearted. 

Such was the lamentable end of the con- 
queror of Spain ; whose great achievements 
were not sufficient to atone, in the eye of his 
sovereign, for a weakness to which all men 
ambitious of renown are subject ; and whose 
triumphs eventually brought persecution upon 
himself and untimely death upon his children. 

Here ends the legend of the Subjugation of 
Spain. 



LEGEND 



OF 



COUNT JULIAN AND HIS FAMILY. 



117 




LEGEND 



OF 



COUNT JULIAN AND HIS FAMILY. 



IN the preceding legends is darkly shadowed 
out a true story of the woes of Spain. It 
is a story full of wholesome admonition, 
rebuking the insolence of human pride 
and the vanity of human ambition, and show- 
ing the futility of all greatness that is not 
strongly based on virtue. We have seen, in 
brief space of time, most of the actors in this 
historic drama disappearing, one by one, from 
the scene, and going down, conqueror and con- 
quered, to gloomy and unhonored graves. It 
remains to close this eventful history by hold- 
ing up, as a signal warning, the fate of the 
traitor whose perfidious scheme of vengeance 
brought ruin on his native land. 

iiq 



i2o 5pant5b papers 



Many and various are the accounts given in 
ancient chronicles of the fortunes of Count 
Julian and his family, and many are the tradi- 
tions on the subject still extant among the 
populace of Spain, and perpetuated in those 
countless ballads sung by peasants and mule- 
teers, which spread a singular charm over the 
whole of this romantic land. 

He who has travelled in Spain in the true 
way in which the country ought to be trav- 
elled, — sojourning in its remote provinces, ram- 
bling among the rugged defiles and secluded 
valleys of its mountains, and making himself 
familiar with the people in their out-of-the-way 
hamlets and rarely-visited neighborhoods, — 
will remember many a group of travellers and 
muleteers, gathered of an evening around the 
door or the spacious hearth of a mountain 
venta, wrapped in their brown cloaks, and lis- 
tening with grave and profound attention to the 
long historic ballad of some rustic troubadour, 
either recited with the true oi'e rotundo and 
modulated cadences of Spanish elocution, or 
chanted to the tinkling of a guitar. In this 
way he may have heard the doleful end of 
Count Julian and his family recounted in tra- 
ditionary rhymes, that have been handed down 
from generation to generation. The particu- 
lars, however, of the following wild legend 



Count Julian anD Ibis ffamilE 121 

are chiefly gathered from the writings of the 
pseudo-Moor Rasis ; how far they may be 
safely taken as historic facts it is impossible 
now to ascertain ; we must content ourselves, 
therefore, with their answering to the exac- 
tions of poetic justice. 

As yet everything had prospered with Count 
Julian. He had gratified his vengeance ; he 
had been successful in his treason, and had ac- 
quired countless riches from the ruin of his 
country. But it is not outward success that 
constitutes prosperity. The tree flourishes with 
fruit and foliage while blasted and withering 
at the heart. Wherever he went, Count Julian 
read hatred in every eye. The Christians cursed 
him as the cause of all their woe ; the Moslems 
despised and distrusted him as a traitor. Men 
whispered together as he approached, and then 
turned away in scorn ; and mothers snatched 
away their children with horror if he offered to 
caress them. He withered under the execra- 
tion of his fellow-men, and last, and worst of 
all, he began to loathe himself. He tried in 
vain to persuade himself that he had but taken 
a justifiable vengeance ; he felt that no per- 
sonal wrong can justify the crime of treason to 
one's country. 

For a time he sought in luxurious indulgence 
to soothe or forget the miseries of the mind. 



i22 Spanfsb papers 



He assembled round him every pleasure and 
gratification that boundless wealth could pur- 
chase, but all in vain. He had no relish for 
the dainties of his board ; music had no charm 
wherewith to lull his soul, and remorse drove 
slumber from his pillow. He sent to Ceuta for 
his wife Frandina, his daughter Florinda, and 
his youthful son Alarbot ; hoping in the bosom 
of his family to find that sympathy and kind- 
ness which he could no longer meet with in 
this world. Their presence, however, brought 
him no alleviation. Florinda, the daughter of 
his heart, for whose sake he had undertaken 
this signal vengeance, was sinking a victim to 
its effects. Wherever she went, she found her- 
self a byword of shame and reproach. The 
outrage she had suffered was imputed to her as 
wantonness, and her calamity was magnified 
into a crime. The Christians never mentioned 
her name without a curse, and the Moslems, 
the gainers by her misfortunes, spoke of her 
only by the appellation of Cava, the vilest 
epithet they could apply to woman. 

But the opprobrium of the world was noth- 
ing to the upbraiding of her own heart. She 
charged herself with all the miseries of these 
disastrous wars — the deaths of so many gal- 
lant cavaliers, the conquest and perdition of 
her country. The anguish of her mind preyed 



Count Julian an& Ibis ffamilg 123 

upon the beauty of her person. Her eye, once 
soft and tender in its expression, became wild 
and haggard ; her cheek lost its bloom, and 
became hollow and pallid, and at times there 
was desperation in her words. When her father 
sought to embrace her she withdrew with shud- 
dering from his arms, for she thought of his 
treason and the ruin it had brought upon 
Spain. Her wretchedness increased after her 
return to her native country, until it rose to 
a degree of frenzy. One day, when she was 
walking with her parents in the garden of 
their palace, she entered a tower, and having 
barred the door, ascended to the battlements. 
From thence she called to them in piercing 
accents, expressive of her insupportable an- 
guish and desperate determination : ' ' L,et this 
city," said she, " be henceforth called Malacca, 
in memorial of the most wretched of women, 
who therein put an end to her days." So say- 
ing, she threw herself headlong from the 
tower, and was dashed to pieces. The city, 
adds the ancient chronicler, received the name 
thus given it, though afterwards softened to 
Malaga, which it still retains in memory of the 
tragical end of Florinda. 

The Countess Frandina abandoned this scene 
of woe, and returned to Ceuta, accompanied 
by her infant son. She took with her the re- 



i24 Spanisb papers 



mains of her unfortunate daughter, and gave 
them honorable sepulture in a mausoleum of 
the chapel belonging to the citadel. Count 
Julian departed for Carthagena, where he re- 
mained plunged in horror at this doleful event. 

About this time, the cruel Suleiman, having 
destroyed the family of Muza, had sent an 
Arab general, named Alahor, to succeed Abda- 
lasis as emir or governor of Spain. The new 
emir was of a cruel and suspicious nature, and 
commenced his sway with a stern severity that 
soon made those under his command look back 
with regret to the easy rule of Abdalasis. He 
regarded with an eye of distrust the renegado 
Christians who had aided in the conquest, and 
who bore arms in the service of the Moslems ; 
but his deepest suspicions fell upon Count 
Julian. ' ' He has been a traitor to his own 
countrymen," said he ; "how can we be sure 
that he will not prove traitor to us ? ' ' 

A sudden insurrection of the Christians who 
had taken refuge in the Asturian Mountains, 
quickened his suspicions, and inspired him 
with fears of some dangerous conspiracy against 
his power. In the height of his anxiety, he 
bethought him of an Arabian sage named 
Yuza, who had accompanied him from Africa. 
This son of science was withered in form, and 
looked as if he had outlived the usual term of 



Count Julian anD Ibis ffamilE 125 

mortal life. In the course of his studies and 
travels in the East, he had collected the knowl- 
edge and experience of ages ; being skilled in 
astrology, and, it is said, in necromancy, and 
possessing the marvellous gift of prophecy or 
divination. To this expounder of mysteries 
Alahor applied to learn whether any secret 
treason menaced his safety. 

The astrologer listened with deep attention 
and overwhelming brow to all the surmises 
and suspicions of the emir, then shut himself 
up to consult his books and commune with 
those supernatural intelligences subservient to 
his wisdom. At an appointed hour the emir 
sought him in his cell. It was filled with the 
smoke of perfumes ; squares and circles and 
various diagrams were described upon the 
floor, and the astrologer was poring over a 
scroll of parchment, covered with cabalistic 
characters. He received Alahor with a gloomy 
and sinister aspect ; pretending to have dis- 
covered fearful portents in the heavens, and to 
have had strange dreams and mystic visions. 

"O emir," said he, "be on your guard! 
treason is around you and in your path ; your 
life is in peril. Beware of Count Julian and his 
family. ' ' 

' ' Enough, ' ' said the emir. ' ' They shall all 
die ! Parents and children — all shall die ! ' ' 



i26 Spanisb papers 



He forthwith sent a summons to Count 
Julian to attend him in Cordova. The mes- 
senger found him plunged in affliction for the 
recent death of his daughter. The count ex- 
cused himself, on account of this misfortune, 
from obeying the commands of the emir in 
person, but sent several of his adherents. His 
hesitation, and the circumstance of his having 
sent his family across the straits to Africa, were 
construed by the jealous mind of the emir into 
proofs of guilt. He no longer doubted his be- 
ing concerned in the recent insurrections, and 
that he had sent his family away preparatory 
to an attempt, by force of arms, to subvert the 
Moslem domination. In his fury he put to 
death Siseburto and Evan, the nephews of 
Bishop Oppas and sons of the former king, 
Witiza, suspecting them of taking part in the 
treason. Thus did they expiate their treachery 
to their country in the fatal battle of the Gua- 
dalete. 

Alahor next hastened to Carthagena to seize 
upon Count Julian. So rapid were his move- 
ments that the count had barely time to escape 
with fifteen cavaliers, with whom he took 
refuge in the strong castle of Marcuello, 
among the mountains of Aragon. The emir, 
enraged to be disappointed of his prey, em- 
barked at Carthagena and crossed the straits to 



Count Julian anfc Ibis ffamilg 127 

Ceuta, to make captives of the Countess Fran- 
dina and her son. 

The old chronicle from which we take this 
part of our legend, presents a gloomy picture 
of the countess in the stern fortress to which 
she had fled for refuge — a picture heightened 
by supernatural horrors. These latter the 
sagacious reader will admit or reject according 
to the measure of his faith and judgment ; 
always remembering that in dark and eventful 
times, like those in question, involving the 
destinies of nations, the downfall of kingdoms, 
and the crimes of rulers and mighty men, the 
hand of fate is sometimes strangely visible, and 
confounds the wisdom of the worldly wise by 
intimations and portents above the ordinary 
course of things. With this proviso, we make 
no scruple to follow the venerable chronicler in 
his narration. 

Now it so happened that the Countess Fran- 
dina was seated late at night in her chamber, 
in the citadel of Ceuta, which stands on a lofty 
rock, overlooking the sea. She was revolving 
in gloomy thought the late disasters of her 
family, when she heard a mournful noise like 
that of the sea-breeze moaning about the 
castle walls. Raising her eyes, she beheld her 
brother, the Bishop Oppas, at the entrance of 
the chamber. She advanced to embrace him 



i28 Spanisb papers 



but he forbade her with a motion of his hand, 
and she observed that he was ghastly pale, and 
that his eyes glared as with lambent flames. 

" Touch me not, sister," said he, with a 
mournful voice, ' ' lest thou be consumed by the 
fire which rages within me. Guard well thy 
son, for bloodhounds are upon his track. His 
innocence might have secured him the protec- 
tion of Heaven, but our crimes have involved 
him in our common ruin." He ceased to 
speak, and was no longer to be seen. His 
coming and going were alike without noise, 
and the door of the chamber remained fast 
bolted. 

On the following morning a messenger ar- 
rived with tidings that the Bishop Oppas had 
been made prisoner in battle by the insurgent 
Christians of the Asturias, and had died in fet- 
ters in a tower of the mountans. The same 
messenger brought word that the Emir Alahor 
had put to death several of the friends of Count 
Julian ; and obliged him to fly for his life to a 
castle in Aragon, and was embarking with a 
formidable force for Ceuta. 

The Countess Frandina, as has already been 
shown, was of courageous heart, and danger 
made her desperate. There were fifty Moorish 
soldiers in the garrison ; she feared that they 
would prove treacherous, and take part with 



Count Julian and Ibis aFamilB 129 

their countrymen. Summoning her officers, 
therefore, she informed them of their danger, 
and commanded them to put those Moors to 
death. The guards sallied forth to obey her 
orders. Thirty-five of the Moors were in the 
great square, unsuspicious of any danger, when 
they were severally singled out by their exe- 
cutioners, and, at a concerted signal, killed on 
the spot. The remaining fifteen took refuge in 
a tower. They saw the armada of the emir at 
a distance, and hoped to be able to hold out un- 
til its arrival. The soldiers of the countess saw 
it also, and made extraordinary efforts to de- 
stroy these internal enemies before they should 
be attacked from without. They made repeated 
attempts to storm the tower, but were as often 
repulsed with severe loss. They then under- 
mined it, supporting its foundations by stan- 
chions of wood. To these they set fire, and 
withdrew to a distance, keeping up a constant 
shower of missiles to prevent the Moors from 
sallying forth to extinguish the flames. The 
stanchions were rapidly consumed, and when 
they gave way the tower fell to the ground. 
Some of the Moors were crushed among the 
ruins ; others were flung to a distance and 
dashed among the rocks ; those who survived 
were instantly put to the sword. 

The fleet of the emir arrived at Ceuta about 

9 



i3o Spanteb papers 



the hour of vespers. He landed, but found the 
gates closed against him. The countess her- 
self spoke to him from a tower, and set him at 
defiance. The emir immediately laid siege to 
the city. He consulted the astrologer Yuza, 
who told him that for seven days his star would 
have the ascendant over that of the youth Alar- 
bot, but after that time the youth would be safe 
from his power, and would effect his ruin. 

Alahor immediately ordered the city to be 
assailed on every side, and at length carried it 
by storm. The countess took refuge with her 
forces in the citadel, and made desperate de- 
fense : but the walls were sapped and mined, 
and she saw that all resistance would soon be 
unavailing. Her only thoughts now were to 
conceal her child. " Surely,' ' said she, " they 
will not think of seeking him among the dead." 
She led him, therefore, into the dark and dis- 
mal chapel. ' * Thou art not afraid to be 
alone in this darkness, my child? " said she. 

" No, mother/ ' replied the boy ; " darkness 
gives silence and sleep." She conducted him 
to the tomb of Florinda. " Fearest thou the 
dead, my child ? " " No, mother ; the dead can 
do no harm, and what should I fear from my 
sister?" 

The countess opened the sepulchre. " Listen, 
my son," $aid she, " There are fierce and 



Count Julian ant) Ibis jFamilg 131 

cruel people who have come hither to murder 
thee. Stay here in company with thy sister, 
and be quiet as thou dost value thy life ! " The 
boy, who was of a courageous nature, did as 
he was bidden, and remained there all that day, 
and all the night, and the next day until the 
third hour. 

In the meantime the walls of the citadel 
were sapped, the troops of the emir poured in 
at the breach, and a great part of the garrison 
was put to the sword. The countess was taken 
prisoner, and brought before the emir. She 
appeared in his presence with a haughty de- 
meanor, as if she had been a queen receiving 
homage ; but when he demanded her son, she 
faltered and turned pale, and replied : ' ' My son 
is with the dead. ' ' 

" Countess/' said the emir, " I am not to be 
deceived ; tell me where you have concealed the 
boy, or tortures shall wring from you the 
secret. ' ' 

"Emir," replied the countess, "may the 
greatest torments be my portion, both here and 
hereafter, if what I speak be not the truth. 
My darling child lies buried with the dead." 

The emir was confounded by the solemnity 
of her words ; but the withered astrologer 
Yuza, who stood by his side regarding the 
countess from beneath his bushed eyebrows, 



132 Spanfsb papers 



perceived trouble in her countenance and 
equivocation in her words. ' ' L,eave this mat- 
ter to me," whispered he to Alahor ; " I will 
produce the child.' ' 

He ordered strict search to be made by the 
soldiery, and he obliged the countess to be al- 
ways present. When they came to the chapel, 
her cheek turned pale and her lip quivered. 
"This," said the subtile astrologer, "is the 
place of concealment ! " 

The search throughout the chapel, however, 
was equally vain, and the soldiers were about 
to depart, when Yuza remarked a slight gleam 
of joy in the eye of the countess. "We are 
leaving our prey behind," thought he ; " the 
countess is exulting." 

He now called to mind the words of her as- 
severation, that her child was with the dead. 
Turning suddenly to the soldiers, he ordered 
them to search the sepulchres. " If you find 
him not," said he, "drag forth the bones of 
that wanton Cava, that they may be burned, 
and the ashes scattered to the winds. ' ' 

The soldiers searched among the tombs, and 
found that of Florinda partly open. Within 
lay the boy in the sound sleep of childhood, 
and one of the soldiers took him gently in his 
arms to bear him to the emir. 

When the countess beheld that her child 






Count Julian anfc 1bfs jfamfl£ 133 

was discovered, she rushed into the presence 
of Alahor, and, forgetting all her pride, threw 
herself upon her knees before him. 

' i Mercy ! mercy ! ' ' cried she, in piercing 
accents, ' ' mercy on my son — my only child ! 
O emir ! listen to a mothers prayer, and my lips 
shall kiss thy feet. As thou art merciful to him, 
so may the most high God have mercy upon 
thee, and heap blessings on thy head." 

" Bear that frantic woman hence/ ' said the 
emir, ' i but guard her well. ' ' 

The countess was dragged away by the sol- 
diery, without regard to her struggles and her 
cries, and confined in a dungeon of the citadel. 

The child was now brought to the emir. 
He had been awakened by the tumult, but 
gazed fearlessly on the stern countenances of 
the soldiers. Had the heart of the emir been 
capable of pity, it would have been touched 
by the tender youth and innocent beauty of 
the child ; but his heart was as the nether 
millstone, and he was bent upon the destruc- 
tion of the whole family of Julian. Calling 
to him the astrologer, he gave the child into 
his charge with a secret command. The with- 
ered son of the desert took the boy by the 
hand and led him up the winding staircase of 
a tower. When they reached the summit, 
Yuza placed him on the battlements. 



i34 Spanteb papers 



" Cling not to me my child," said he ; 
" there is no danger." " Father, I fear not," 
said the undaunted boy ; ' ' yet it is a wondrous 
height!" 

The child looked around with delighted 
eyes. The breeze blew his curling locks about 
his face, and his cheek glowed at the bound- 
less prospect ; for the tower was reared upon 
that lofty promontory on which Hercules 
founded one of his pillars. The surges of the 
sea were heard far below, beating upon the 
rocks, the sea-gull screamed and wheeled about 
the foundations of the tower, and the sails of 
lofty caraccas were as mere specks on the 
bosom of the deep. 

4 ' Dost thou know yonder land beyond the 
blue water ? ' ' said Yuza. 

" It is Spain," replied the boy ; " it is the 
land of my father and my mother." 

" Then stretch forth thy hands and bless it, 
my child," said the astrologer. 

The boy let go his hold of the wall ; and, as 
he stretched forth his hands, the aged son of 
Ishmael, exerting all the strength of his with- 
ered limbs, suddenly pushed him over the 
battlements. He fell headlong from the top 
of that tall tower, and not a bone in his tender 
frame but what was crushed upon the rocks 
beneath. 



Count Julian anD Ibis jFamilg 135 

Alahor came to the foot of the winding stairs. 

* ' Is the boy safe ? ' ' cried he. 

" He is safe/' replied Yuza ; "come and 
behold the truth with thine own eyes." 

The emir ascended the tower and looked 
over the battlements, and beheld the body of 
the child, a shapeless mass on the rocks far 
below, and the sea-gulls hovering about it ; 
and he gave orders that it should be thrown 
into the sea, which was done. 

On the following morning the countess was 
led forth from her dungeon into the public 
square. She knew that her own death was at 
hand, but she neither wept nor supplicated. 
Her hair was dishevelled, her eyes were hag- 
gard with watching, and her cheek was as the 
monumental stone ; but there were the remains 
of commanding beauty in her countenance, and 
the majesty of her presence awed even the 
rabble into respect. 

A multitude of Christian prisoners were then 
brought forth, and Alahor cried out : " Be- 
hold the wife of Count Julian ! behold one of 
that traitorous family which has brought ruin 
upon yourselves and upon your country ! ' ' 
And he ordered that they should stone her to 
death. But the Christians drew back with 
horror from the deed, and said: " In the hands 
of God is vengeance ; let not her blood be 



136 Spanisb papers 



upon our heads.' ' Upon this the emir swore 
with horrid imprecations that whoever of the 
captives refused should himself be stoned to 
death. So the cruel order was executed, and 
the Countess Frandina perished by the hands 
of her countrymen. Having thus accomplished 
his barbarous errand, the emir embarked for 
Spain, and ordered the citadel of Ceuta to be 
set on fire, and crossed the straits at night by 
the light of its towering flames. 

The death of Count Julian, which took 
place not long after, closed the tragic story of 
his family. How he died remains involved in 
doubt. Some assert that the cruel Alahor pur- 
sued him to his retreat among the mountains, 
and, having taken him prisoner, beheaded him; 
others that the Moors confined him in a dun- 
geon, and put an end to his life with lingering 
torments ; while others affirm that the tower 
of the castle of Marcuello, near Huesca, in 
Aragon, in which he took refuge, fell on him 
and crushed him to pieces. All agree that his 
latter end was miserable in the extreme and 
his death violent. The curse of Heaven, which 
had thus pursued him to the grave, was ex- 
tended to the very place which had given him 
shelter ; for we are told that the castle is no 
longer inhabited on account of the strange and 
horrible noises that are heard in it ; and that 






Count Julian anD 1bte jfamflE 137 

visions of armed men are seen above it in the 
air ; which are supposed to be the troubled 
spirits of the apostate Christians who favored 
the cause of the traitor. 

In after times a stone sepulchre was shown, 
outside of the chapel of the castle, as the tomb 
of Count Julian ; but the traveller and the 
pilgrim avoided it, or bestowed upon it a male- 
diction ; and the name of Julian has remained 
a byword and a scorn in the land for the warn- 
ing of all generations. Such ever be the lot 
of him who betrays his country. 

Here end the legends of the Conquest of 
Spain. 

Written in The Aijiambra, June 10, 1829. 



NOTE TO THE) PRECEDING LEGEND. 

El* licenciado Ardevines (lib. 2, c. 8) dize que dichos 
Duendos caseros, o los del aire, hazen aparacer exer- 
citos y peleas, como lo que se cuenta por tradicion (y 
aun algunos personas lo deponen como testigos de 
vista) de la torre y castello de Marcuello, lugar al pie 
de las montanas de Aragon (aora inhabitable, por las 
grandes y espan tables ruidos, que en el se oyen) donde 
se retraxo el Conde Don Julian, causa de la perdicion de 
Espafia ; sobre el qual castillo, deze se ven en el aire 
ciertas visioues, como de soldados, que el vulgo dize 
son los cavalleros y gente que le favorecian. 



138 



Spanteb papers 



Vide " El Bnte Dislucidado, " por Fray Antonio de 
Fuentalapena, Capuchin. Seccion 3, Subseccion 5, 
Instancia 8, Num. 644. 

As readers unversed in the Spanish language may 
wish to know the testimony of the worthy and discreet 
Capuchin friar, Antonio de Fuentalapena, we subjoin 
a translation of it : 

"The licentiate Ardevines (book ii., chap. 8) says 
that the said house fairies (or familiar spirits), or those 
of the air, caused the apparitions of armies and 
battles, — such as those which are related in tradition 
(and some persons even depose to the truth of them 
as eye-witnesses) of the town and castle of Marcuello, 
a fortress at the foot of the mountains of Aragon (at 
present uninhabitable, on account of the great and 
frightful noises heard in it), the place of retreat of 
Count Don Julian, the cause of the perdition of Spain. 
It is said that certain apparitions of soldiers are seen 
in the air, which the vulgar say are those of the 
courtiers and people who aided him." 




CHRONICLE 



OF 



FERNAN GONZALEZ, 

COUNT OF CASTILE. 



139 




CHRONICLE 



OF 



FERNAN GONZALEZ, 

COUNT OF CASTILE. 



IFntro&uctiotu 

AT the time of the general wreck of Spain 
by the sudden tempest of Arab inva- 
sion, many of the inhabitants took 
refuge in the mountains of the Astu- 
rias, burying themselves in narrow valleys 
difficult of access, wherever a constant stream 
of water afforded a green bosom of pasture- 
land and scanty fields for cultivation. For 
mutual protection they gathered together in 
small villages called castros, or castrellos, with 
watch-towers and fortresses on impending cliffs, 
in which they might shelter and defend them- 

141 



i42 Spanisb papers 



selves in case of sudden inroad. Thus arose 
the kingdom of the Asturias, subject to Pelayo 
and the kings his successors, who gradually 
extended their dominions, built towns and 
cities, and after a time fixed their seat of 
government at the city of Leon. 

An important part of the region over which 
they bore sway was ancient Cantabria, extend- 
ing from the Bay of Biscay to the Duero, and 
called Castile from the number of castles with 
which it w T as studded. They divided it into 
seigniories, over which they placed civil and 
military governors called counts — a title said 
to be derived from the Latin co??ies, a com- 
panion, the person enjoying it being admitted 
to the familiar companionship of the king, 
entering into his councils in time of peace, 
and accompanying him to the field in time of 
war. The title of count was, therefore, more 
dignified than that of duke in the time of the 
Gothic kings. 

The power of these counts increased to such a 
degree that four of them formed a league to 
declare themselves independent of the crown 
of Leon. Ordofio II., who was then the king, 
received notice of it, and got them into his 
pow 7 er by force, as some assert, but as others 
maintain, by perfidious artifice. At any rate, 
they were brought to court, convicted of 






jfernan <3on3ale3 143 



treason, and publicly beheaded. The Castil- 
ians flew to arms to revenge their deaths. 
Ordono took the field with a powerful army, 
but his own death defeated all his plans. 

The Castilians now threw off allegiance to 
the kingdom of Leon, and elected two judges 
to rule over them — one in a civil, the other in 
a military capacity. The first who filled those 
stations were Nufio Rasura and Lain Calvo, 
two powerful nobles, the former descended 
from Diego Porcello, a count of Lara ; the 
latter, ancestor of the renowned Cid Cam- 
peador. 

Nufia Rasura, the civil and political judge, 
was succeeded by his son Gonzalez Nufio, who 
married Dona Ximena, a daughter of one of 
the counts of Castile put to death by Ordono 
II. From this marriage came Fernan Gonza- 
lez, the subject of the following chronicle. 





Cbapter I # 

Installation of Fernan Gonzalez as Count of Castile— 
His First Campaign against the Moors — Victory of 
San Quirce — How the Count Disposed of the Spoils. 



THE renowned Fernan Gonzalez, the 
most complete hero of his time, was 
born about the year 887. Historians 
trace his descent to Nuno Belchidez, 
nephew of the Emperor Charlemagne, and 
Dona Sula Bella, granddaughter of the prince 
Don Sancho, rightful sovereign of Spain, but 
superseded by Roderick, the last of the Gothic 
kings. 

Fernan Gonzalez was hardily educated among 
the mountains in a strong place called Maron, 
in the house of Martin Gonzalez, a gallant and 
veteran cavalier. From his earliest years he 
was inured to all kinds of toils and perils, 
taught to hunt, to hawk, to ride the great 
horse, to manage sword, lance, and buckler ; 

144 



jfetnan <3on3ale3 145 



in a word, he was accomplished in all the 
noble exercises befitting a cavalier. 

His father, Gonzalvo Nunez, died in 903, and 
his elder brother, Rodrigo, in 904, without 
issue ; and such was the admiration already 
entertained of Fernan Gonzalez by the hardy 
mountaineers and old Castilian warriors, that 
though scarce seventeen years of age, he was 
unanimously elected to rule over them. His 
title is said to have been Count, Duke, and 
Consul, under the seigniory of Alonzo the 
Great, King of L,eon. A cortes, or assemblage 
of the nobility and chivalry of Castile and of 
the mountains, met together at the recently 
built city of Burgos to do honor to his installa- 
tion. Sebastian, the renowned Bishop of Oca, 
officiated. 

In those stern days of Spain, the situation 
of a sovereign was not that of silken ease and 
idle ceremonial. When he put the rich crown 
upon his head, he encircled it likewise with 
shining steel. With the sceptre w r ere united 
the lance and shield, emblems of perpetual 
war against the enemies of the faith. The 
cortes took this occasion to pass the following 
laws for the goverment of the realm : 

1. Above all things the people should ob- 
serve the law of God, the canons and statutes 
of the holy fathers, the liberty and privileges 



146 Spanieb papers 



of the Church, and the respect due to its min- 
isters. 

2. No person should prosecute another out 
of Castile at any tribunal of justice or of arms, 
under pain of being considered a stranger. 

3. All Jews and Moors who refused to ac- 
knowledge the Christian faith should depart 
from Castile within two months. 

4. That cavaliers of noble blood should treat 
their tenants and vassals with love and gentle- 
ness. 

5. That he who slew another, or committed 
any other grave offense, should make equal 
measure of atonement. 

6. That no one should take the property of 
another ; but, if oppressed by poverty, should 
come to the count, who ought to be as a 
father to all. 

7. That all should unite and be of one 
heart, and aid one another in defense of their 
faith and of their country. 

Such were the ordinances of the ancient 
Cortes of Burgos ; brief and simple, and easy 
to be understood ; not, as at the present day, 
multifarious and perplexed, to the confusion 
and ruin of clients and the enrichment of 
lawyers. 

Scarce was the installation ended, and while 
Burgos was yet abandoned to festivity, ere the 






JFernan <3on3ale3 147 



young count, with the impatient ardor of 
youth, caused the trumpets to sound through 
the streets a call to arms. A captain of the 
Moorish king of Toledo was ravaging the 
territory of Castile at the head of seven thou- 
sand troops, and against him the youthful count 
determined to make his first campaign. In 
the spur of the moment but one hundred horse- 
men and fifteen hundred foot-soldiers could be 
collected ; but with this slender force the 
count prepared to take the field. Ruy Velaz- 
quez, a valiant cavalier, remonstrated against 
such rashness, but in vain. "I owe," said 
the count, ' * a death to the grave ; the debt 
can never be paid so honorabfy as in the service 
of God and my country. L,et every one, there- 
fore, address himself heart and hand to this 
enterprise ; for if I come face to face with this 
Moor, I will most assuredly give him battle." 
So saying, he knelt before Bishop Sebastian 
of Salamanca and craved his benediction. 
The reverend prelate invoked on his head the 
blessing and protection of Heaven, for his 
heart yearned toward him ; but when he saw the 
youthful warrior about to depart, he kindled, 
as it were, with a holy martial fire, and order- 
ing his steed to be saddled he sallied forth 
with him to the wars. 

The little army soon came upon traces of the 



148 Spantsb papers 



enemy in fields laid waste, and the smoking 
ruins of villages and hamlets. The count 
sent out scouts to clamber every height and 
explore every defile. From the summit of a 
hill they beheld the Moors encamped in a 
valley which was covered with the flocks and 
herds swept from the neighboring country. 
The camp of the marauders was formidable 
as to numbers, with various standards floating 
in the breeze ; for in this foray were engaged 
the Moorish chiefs of Saragossa, Denia, and 
Seville, together with many valiant Moslems 
who had crossed the straits from Africa to 
share in what they considered a holy enterprise. 
The scouts observed, however, that the most 
negligent security reigned throughout the 
camp ; some reposing, others feasting and 
revelling, all evidently considering themselves 
safe from any attack. 

Upon hearing this the count led his men 
secretly and silently to the assault, and came 
upon the Moors in the midst of their revelry, 
before they had time to buckle on their armor. 
The infidels, however, made a brave though 
confused resistance ; the camp was strewn 
with their dead ; many were taken prisoners, 
and the rest began to falter. The count killed 
their captain-general with his own hand, in 
single fight, as he was bravely rallying his 



afernan Gonzales 149 



troops. Upon seeing him fall, the Moors threw 
down their weapons and fled. 

Immense booty was found in the Moorish 
camp, — partly the rich arms and equipments 
of the infidel warriors, partly the plunder of 
the country. An ordinary victor would have 
merely shared the spoils with his soldiery, but 
the count was as pious as he was brave, and, 
moreover, had by his side the venerable Bishop 
of Salamanca as counsellor. Contenting him- 
self, therefore, with distributing one third 
among his soldiery, he shared the rest with 
God, devoting a large part to the Church, and 
to the relief of souls in purgatory — a pious 
custom, which he ever after observed. He, 
moreover, founded a church on the field of 
battle, dedicated to St. Quirce, on whose festi- 
val (the 1 6th July) this victory was obtained. 
To this church was subsequently added a mon- 
astery where a worthy fraternity of monks 
was maintained in the odor of sanctity, to 
perpetuate the memory of this victory. All 
this was doubtless owing to the providential 
presence of the good bishop on this occasion ; 
and this is one instance of the great benefit 
derived from those priests and monks and 
other purveyors of the Church, who hovered 
about the Christian camps throughout all these 
wars with the infidels. 




Cbapter 1T1K 

Of the Sally from Burgos and Surprise of the Castle 
of Lara — Capitulation of the Town — Visit to Alfonso 
the Great, King of Leon. 

COUNT FERNAN GONZALEZ did 
not remain idle after the victory of 
San Quirce. There was at this time 
an old castle, strong but much bat- 
tered in the wars, which protected a small 
town, the remains of the once flourishing city 
of Lara. It was the ancient domain of his 
family, but was at present in possession of the 
Moors. In sooth it had repeatedly been taken 
and retaken ; for in those iron days no castle 
or fortress remained long under the same 
masters. One year it was in the hands of the 
Christians ; the next, of the Moors. Some of 
these castles, with their dependent towns, were 
sacked, burnt, and demolished ; others re- 
mained silent and deserted, their original 
owners fearing to reside in them ; and their 

150 



ffernan (Borates 151 



ruined towers were only tenanted by bats and 
owls and screaming birds of prey. I,ara had 
lain for a time in ruins after being captured 
by the Moors, but had been rebuilt by them 
with diminished grandeur, and they had a 
strong garrison in the castle, whence they 
sallied forth occasionally to ravage the lands 
of the Christians. The Moorish chieftain of 
L,ara, as has been observed, was among the 
associated marauders who had been routed in 
the battle of San Quirce ; and the Count Fer- 
nan Gonzalez thought this a favorable time to 
strike for the recovery of his family domain, 
now that the infidel possessor was weakened 
by defeat and could receive no succor. 

Appointing Rodrigo Velasquez and the 
Count Don Vela Alvarez to act as governors 
of Castile during his absence, the count sallied 
forth from Burgos with a brilliant train of 
chivalry. Among the distinguished cavaliers 
who attended him were Martin Gonzalez, Don 
Gustios Gonzalez, Don Velasco, and Don L,ope 
de Biscaya, which last brought a goodly band 
of stout Biscayans. The alfarez, or standard- 
bearer, was Orbita Velasquez, who had dis- 
tinguished himself in the battle of San Quirce. 
He bore as a standard a great cross of silver, 
which shone gloriously in front of the host, 
and is preserved, even to the present day, in 



152 Spanisb papers 



the church of San Pedro de Arlanza. One 
hundred and fifty noble cavaliers, well mount- 
ed, with many esquires and pages of the lance, 
and three thousand foot-soldiers, all picked 
men, formed this small but stout-hearted army. 

The count led his troops with such caution 
that they arrived in the neighborhood of Lara 
without being discovered. It was the vigil of 
St. John ; the country was wrapped in evening 
shadows, and the count was enabled to ap- 
proach near to the place to make his observa- 
tions. He perceived that his force was too 
inconsiderable to invest the town and fortress. 
Besides, about two leagues distant was the 
gaunt and rock-built castle of Carazo, a pre- 
sidio or stronghold of the Moors, whence he 
might be attacked in the rear, should he linger 
before the fortress. It was evident, therefore, 
that whatever was to be effected must be done 
promptly and by sudden surprise. Revolving 
these things in his mind he put his troops in 
ambush in a deep ravine where they took their 
rest, while he kept watch upon the castle ; 
maturing his plans against the morrow. In 
this way he passed his midsummer's night, 
the vigil of the blessed St. John. 

The festival of St. John is observed as well 
by Mahometans as Christians. During the 
night bonfires blazed on the hill-tops and the 



jFernan <5on3ale3 153 



sound of music and festivity was heard from 
within the town. When the rising sun shone 
along the valley of the Arlanza the Moors in 
the castle, unsuspicious of any lurking danger, 
threw open the gates and issued forth to rec- 
reate themselves in the green fields and along 
the banks of the river. When they had pro- 
ceeded to a considerable distance, and a hill 
shut them from view, the count and his eager 
followers issued silently but swiftly from their 
hiding-place and made directly for the castle. 
On the way they met with another band of 
Moors who had likewise come forth for amuse- 
ment. The count struck the leader to the 
earth with one blow of his lance ; the rest 
were either slain or taken prisoners ; so that 
not one escaped to give the alarm. 

Those of the garrison who had remained in 
the castle, seeing a Christian force rushing up 
to the very walls, hastened to close the gates, 
but it was too late. The count and his cava- 
liers burst them open and put every one to 
the sword who made opposition. Leaving 
Don Velasco and a number of soldiers to guard 
the castle, the count hastened with the rest in 
pursuit of the Moors who were solemnizing 
the day on the banks of the Arlanza. Some 
were reclining on the grass, others were amus- 
ing themselves with music and the popular 



t54 Spanleb papers 



dance of the Zambra, while their arms lay- 
scattered among the herbage. 

At sight of the Christians, they snatched up 
their weapons and made a desperate though 
vain resistance. Within two hours almost all 
were either slain or captured ; a few escaped to 
the neighboring mountains of Carazo. The 
town, seeing the castle in the hands of the 
Christians, and the garrison routed and de- 
stroyed, readily capitulated ; and the inhabi- 
tants were permitted to retain -unmolested 
possession of their houses, on agreeing to pay 
to the count the same tribute which had been 
exacted from them by the Moorish king. Don 
Velasco was left alcaid of the fortress, and the 
count returned, covered with glory, to his cap- 
ital of Burgos. 

The brilliant victories and hardy deeds of 
arms with which the youthful Count of Castile 
had commenced his reign excited the admira- 
tion of Alfonso the Great, King of Leon, and 
he sent missives urging him to appear at his 
royal court. The count accordingly set forth 
with a cavalcade of his most approved knights 
and many of his relatives, sumptuously armed 
and arrayed and mounted on steeds richly ca- 
parisoned. It was a pageant befitting a young 
and magnificent chief, in the freshness and 
pleasance of his years. 



jFernan <Son;$ale3 



155 



The king came out of the city to meet him, 
attended by all the pomp and grandeur of his 
court. The count alighted, and approached to 
kiss the king's hand ; but Alfonso alighted 
also, and embraced him with great affection, 
and the friendship of these illustrious princes 
continued without interruption throughout the 
life of the king. 





Cbapter 1F1T1F. 

Expedition against the Fortress of Mugnon — Desper- 
ate Defense of the Moors — Enterprise against Cas- 
tro Xeriz. 



M 



ANY are the doughty achievements re- 
corded in ancient chronicles of this 
most valorous cavalier ; among others 
is his expedition, with a chosen band, 
against the castle of Mugnon, a place of great 
importance, which stood at no great distance 
from Burgos. He sallied from his capital in 
an opposite direction, to delude the Moorish 
scouts ; but making a sudden turn, came upon 
the fortress by surprise, broke down the gates, 
and forced his way in at the head of his troops, 
having nothing but a dagger in his hand, his 
lance and sword having been broken in the as- 
sault. The Moors fought desperately from 
court to tower, from tower to wall ; and when 
they saw all resistance vain, many threw them- 
selves from the battlements into the ditch rather 

156 



Jfernan <3on3ale3 157 



than be made captives. Leaving a strong 
garrison in the place, the count returned to 
Burgos. 

His next enterprise was against Castro Xeriz, 
a city with a strong castle, which had been a 
thorn in the side of Castile — the Moorish gar- 
rison often sweeping the road between Burgos 
and I^eon, carrying off travellers, capturing 
cattle, and plundering convoys of provisions 
and merchandise. The count advanced against 
this place in open day, ravaging the country 
and announcing his approach by clouds of 
smoke from the burning habitations of the 
Moors. Abdallah, the alcaid of the fortress, 
would have made peace, but the count refused 
all terms. " God," said he, "has appointed 
me to rescue his holy inheritance from the 
power of infidels ; nothing is to be negotiated 
but by the edge of the sword." 

Abdallah then made a sally with a chosen 
band of his cavaliers. They at first careered 
lightly with their Arabian steeds and launched 
their Moorish darts, but the Christians closed 
in the old Gothic style, fighting hand to hand. 
Abdallah fell by the sword of the count, and 
his followers fled with loosened reins back to 
the city. The Christians followed hard upon 
them, strewing the ground with dead. At the 
gate of the city they were met by Almondir, 



158 Spanish papers 



the son of Abdallah, who disputed the gateway 
and the street inch by inch, until the whole 
place ran with blood. The Moors, driven from 
the streets, took refuge in the castle, where 
Almondir inspirited them to a desperate defense, 
until a stone struck him as he stood on the 
battlements, and he fell to the earth dead. 
Having no leader to direct them, the Moors 
surrendered. When the town was cleared of 
the dead, and order restored, the count divided 
the spoils — allotting the houses among his fol- 
lowers, and peopling the place with Christians. 
He gave the command of it to L,ayn Bermu- 
dez, with the title of count. From him de- 
scended an illustrious line of cavaliers termed 
de Castro, whose male line became extinct in 
Castile, but continued to flourish in Portugal. 
The place is said to have been called Castro 
Xeriz, in consequence of the blood shed in this 
conflict — xeriz, in the Arabic language sig- 
nifying bloody.* 

* Sandoval, p. 301. 





Cbapter W. 

How the Count of Castile and the King of Iyeon Made 
a Triumphant Foray into the Moorish Country — 
Capture of Salamanca — Of the Challenge Brought 
by the Herald and of the Count's Defiance. 



COUNT FERNAN GONZALEZ was 
restless, daring, and impetuous ; he 
seldom suffered lance to rest on wall 
or steed in stable, and no Moorish com- 
mander could sleep in quiet who held town 
or tower in his neighborhood. King Alphonso 
the Great became emulous of sharing in his 
achievements, and they made a campaign to- 
gether against the Moors. The count brought 
a splendid array of Castilian chivalry into the 
field, together with a host of Montaneses, hardy 
and vigorous troops from the Asturias, excel- 
lent for marauding warfare. The King of 
Leon brought his veteran bands, seasoned to 
battle. With their united forces they ravaged 
the Moorish country, marking their way with 

159 



i6o Spanteb papers 



havoc and devastation ; arrived before Sala- 
manca, they took that city by storm after a 
brave defense, and gave it up to be sacked by 
the soldiery. After which such of the Moors 
as chose to remain in it were suffered to retain 
their possessions as vassals to the king. Hav- 
ing accomplished this triumphant foray, they 
returned, each one to his capital. 

The Count of Castile did not repose long in 
his palace. One day a Moorish herald, mag- 
nificently dressed, rode into the city of Burgos, 
bringing Fernan Gonzalez a cartel of defiance. 
It was from a vaunting Moor named Acefali, 
who had entered the territories of Castile with 
a powerful force of horse and foot, giving out 
that he had come to measure strength and 
prowess with the count in battle. Don Fernan 
Gonzalez replied to the defiance with weapon in 
hand at the head of his warriors. A pitched 
battle ensued, which lasted from early morn 
until evening twilight. In the course of the 
fight the count was in imminent peril, his horse 
being killed under him and himself surrounded, 
but he was rescued by his cavaliers. After 
great bloodshed, the Moors were routed and 
pursued beyond the borders. The spoil gained 
in this battle was devoutly expended in repair- 
ing the churches of Castile and the Montaneses. 




Cbapter D* 

A Night Assault upon the Castle of Carazo — The 
Moorish Maiden who Betrayed the Garrison. 

IN those warlike times of Spain every one 
lived with sword in hand; there was 
scarcely a commanding cliff or hill-top 
but had its castle. Moors and Christians 
regarded each other from rival towers and bat- 
tlements perched on opposite heights, and were 
incessantly contending for the dominion of the 
valleys. 

We have seen that Count Fernan Gonzalez 
had regained possession of the ancient town 
and fortress of Lara, the domain of his ances- 
tors ; but it will be recollected that within two 
leagues' distance stood the Moorish presidio of 
Carazo. It was perched like an eagle's nest 
on the summit of a mountain, and the cragged 
steepness of its position and its high and thick 
walls seemed to render it proof against all 

assault. The Moors who garrisoned it were 

11 £ 

161 



162 Spanieb papers 



fierce marauders, who used to sweep down like 
birds of prey from their lofty nest, pounce upon 
the flocks and dwellings of the Christians, 
make hasty ravages, and bear away their spoils 
to the mountain-top. There was no living 
with safety or tranquillity within the scope of 
their maraudings. 

Intelligence of their misdeeds was brought 
to the count at Burgos. He determined to 
have that castle of Carazo, whatever might be 
the cost : for this purpose he called a council 
of his chosen cavalier. He did not conceal 
the peril of the enterprise, from the crag-built 
situation of the castle, its great strength, and 
the vigilance and valor of its garrison. Still 
the Castilian cavaliers offered themselves to 
carry the fortress or die. 

The count sallied secretly from Burgos with 
a select force, and repaired in the night-time to 
Lara, that the Moors might have no intimation 
nor suspicion of his design. In the midst of 
the next night the castle gate was quietly 
opened, and they issued forth as silently as 
possible, pursuing their course in the deep 
shadows of the valley until they came to the 
foot of the mountain of Carazo. Here they 
remained in ambush, and sent forth scouts. 
As the latter prowled about, the day began to 
dawn, and they heard a female voice singing 



jfernan <3on3ale3 163 



above them on the side of the mountain. It 
was a Moorish damsel coming down, with a 
vessel upon her head. She descended to a 
fountain which gushed forth beneath a grove 
of willows, and as she sang she began to fill 
her vessel with water. The spies issued from 
their concealment, seized her, and carried her 
to Count Fernan Gonzalez. 

Overcome by terror or touched by convic- 
tion, the Moorish damsel threw herself on her 
knees before the count, declared her wish to 
turn Christian, and offered, in proof of her sin- 
cerity, to put him in a way of gaining posses- 
sion of the castle. Being encouraged to pro- 
ceed, she told them there was to be a marriage 
feast that day in the castle, and of course a 
great deal of revelry, which would put the gar- 
rison off its guard. She pointed to a place 
where he might lie in ambush with his troops 
in sight of the tower, and promised, when a 
favorable moment presented for an attack, to 
give a signal with a light. 

The count regarded her for a time with a 
fixed and earnest gaze, but saw no faltering 
nor change of countenance. The case required 
bold measures, combined with stratagem ; so 
he confided in her, and permitted her to return 
to the castle. All the day he lay in ambush 
with his troops, each man his hand upon his 



164 Spanfeb papers 



weapon to guard against surprise. The dis- 
tant sound of revelry from the castle, with now 
and then the clash of cymbals, the bray of 
trumpets, and a strain of festive music, showed 
the gayety that reigned within. Night came 
on ; lights gleamed from walls and windows, 
but none resembling the appointed signal. It 
was almost midnight, and the count began to 
fear the Moorish damsel had deceived him, 
when to his great joy he saw the signal-light 
gleaming from one of the towers. 

He now sallied forth with his men, and all, 
on foot, clambered up the steep and rugged 
height. They had almost attained the foot of 
the towers when they were descried by a senti- 
nel, who cried with a loud voice : * ' The foe ! 
the foe ! to arms ! to arms ! ' ' The count, 
followed by his hardy cavaliers, rushed for- 
ward to the gate, crying: " God and Saint 
Millan ! " The whole castle was instantly in 
an uproar. The Moors were bewildered by 
the sudden surprise and the confusion of a 
night assault. They fought bravely but irreg- 
ularly. The Christians had but one plan and 
one object. After a hard struggle and great 
bloodshed, they forced the gate and made 
themselves masters of the castle. 

The count remained several days, fortifying 
the place and garrisoning it, that it might not 



jfernan <5on3ale3 165 



fall again into the possession of the Moors. 
He bestowed magnificent rewards on the Moor- 
ish damsel who had thus betrayed her country- 
men ; she embraced the Christian faith, to 
which she had just given such a signal proof 
of devotion, though it is not said whether the 
count had sufficient confidence in her conversion 
and her newly moulted piety to permit her to 
remain in the fortress she had betrayed. 

Having completed his arrangements, the 
count departed on his return, and encountered 
on the road his mother, Dona Nuiia Fernandez, 
who, exulting in his success, had set out to 
visit him at Carazo. The mother and son 
had a joyful meeting, and gave the name of 
Contreras to the place of their encounter. 





Cbapter IDf ♦ 

Death of Alfonso, King of Leon — The Moors Deter- 
mined to Strike a Fresh Blow at the Count, who 
Summons All Castile to his Standard — Of his Hunt 
in the Forest while Waiting for the Enemy, and of 
the Hermit that he Met with. 

ALFONSO THE GREAT was now grow- 
ing old and infirm, and his queen and 
sons, taking advantage of his age and 
feebleness, endeavored by harsh treat- 
ment to compel him to relinquish the crown. 
Count Fernan Gonzalez interceded between 
them, but in vain ; and Alfonso was at length 
obliged to surrender his crown to his oldest son, 
Don Garcia. The aged monarch then set out 
upon a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Iago ; 
but, falling ill of his mortal malady, sent for 
the count to come to him to his death-bed at 
Zamora. The count hastened thither with all 
zeal and loyalty. He succeeded in effecting a 
reconciliation between Alfonso and his son Don 

166 



jFernan (5on3alC3 167 



Garcia in his dying moments, and was with 
the monarch when he quietly breathed his last. 
The death of the king gave fresh courage to 
the Moors, and they thought this a favorable 
moment to strike a blow at the rising power of 
the count. Abderahman was at this time King 
of Cordova and Miramamolin, or sovereign, of 
the Moors in Spain. He had been enraged at 
the captors of the castle of Carazo, and the 
other victories of the count ; and now that the 
latter had no longer the King of I,eon to back 
him, it was thought he might, by a vigorous 
effort, be completely crushed. Abderahman 
accordingly assembled at Cordova a great army 
of Moorish warriors, both those of Spain and 
Africa, and sent them, under the command of 
Almanzor, to ravage the country of Count 
Fernan Gonzalez. This Almanzor was the 
most valiant Moorish general in Spain, and one 
on whom Abderahman depended as upon his 
right hand. 

On hearing of the impending danger, Count 
Fernan Gonzalez summoned all men of Castile 
capable of bearing arms to repair to his standard 
at Mufion. His force when assembled was but 
small, but composed of the bravest chivalry of 
Castile, any one knight of which he esteemed 
equal to ten Moors. One of the most eminent 
of his cavaliers was Don Gonzalo Gustios, of 



i68 Spanfab fl>apers 



Lara, who brought seven valiant sons to the 
field — the same afterwards renowned in Spanish 
story as the seven princes of Lara. With Don 
Gonzalo came also his wife's brother, Ruy or 
Rodrigo Velazquez, a cavalier of great prowess. 

In the meantime tidings continued to arrive 
of the great force of the enemy, which was said 
to cover the country with its tents. The name 
of the Moorish general, Almanzor, likewise 
inspired great alarm. One of the count's cav- 
aliers, therefore, Gonzalo Diaz, counselled him 
not to venture upon an open battle against such 
fearful odds ; but rather to make a tula, or 
ravaging inroad, into the country of the Moors, 
by way of compelling them to make a truce. 
The count, however, rejected his advice. " As 
to their numbers,' ' said he, " one lion is worth 
ten sheep, and thirty wolves could kill thirty 
thousand lambs. As to that Moor, Almanzor, 
be assured we shall vanquish him, and the 
greater his renown the greater will be the 
honor of the victory." 

The count now marched his little army to 
I,ara, where he paused to await the movements 
of the enemy. While his troops were lying 
there he mounted his horse one day and went 
forth with a few attendants to hunt in the for- 
ests which bordered the river Arlanza. In the 
course of the chase he roused a monstrous boar, 



jFeman <Bon3ale3 169 



and pursued it among the rocks and brakes 
until he became separated from his attendants. 
Still following the track of the boar, he came 
to the foot of a rocky precipice, up which the 
animal mounted by a rugged and narrow path, 
where the horse could not follow. The count 
alighted, tied his horse to an oak, and clam- 
bered up the path, assisting himself at 
times with his boar-spear. The path led to 
a close thicket of cedars, surrounding a 
small edifice partly built of stone and partly 
hewn out of the solid rock. The boar had 
taken refuge within, and had taken his 
stand behind what appeared to be a mass of 
stone. The count was about to launch his 
javelin when he beheld a cross of stone stand- 
ing on what he now perceived was an altar, 
and he knew that he was in a holy place. 
Being as pious as he was brave, the good count 
now knelt before the altar and asked pardon 
of God for the sin he had been on the point of 
committing ; and when he had finished this 
prayer, he added another for victory over the 
foe. 

While he was yet praying, there entered a 
venerable monk, Fray Pelayo by name, who, 
seeing him to be a Christian knight, gave him 
his benediction. He informed the count that 
he resided in this hermitage in company with 



i7o Spanteb papers 



two other monks — Arsenio and Silvano. The 
count marvelled much how they could live 
there in a country overrun by enemies, and 
which had for a long time, and but recently, 
been in the power of the infidels. The hermit 
replied that in the service of God they were 
ready to endure all hardships. It is true they 
suffered much from cold and hunger, being 
obliged to live chiefly on herbs and roots ; but 
by secret paths and tracks they were in com- 
munication with other hermitages scattered 
throughout the country, so that they were en- 
abled to aid and comfort each other. They 
could also secretly sustain in the faith the 
Christians who were held in subjection by the 
Moors, and afford them places of refuge and 
concealment in cases of extremity. 

The count now opened his heart to the good 
hermit, revealing his name and rank, and the 
perils impending over him from the invasion 
of the infidel. As the day was far spent, Fray 
Pelayo prevailed upon him to pass the night 
in the hermitage, setting before him barley 
bread and such simple fare as his cell afforded. 

Early in the morning the count went forth 
and found the hermit seated beneath a tree on 
a rock, whence he could look far and wide out 
of the forest and over the surrounding country. 
The hermit then accosted him as one whose 



ffernan <3on3ale3 



171 



holy and meditative life and mortifications of 
the flesh had given him the power to look into 
the future almost with the eye of prophecy. 
u Of a truth, my son," said he, " there are 
many trials and hardships in store for thee ; 
but be of good cheer, thou wilt conquer these 
Moors, and wilt increase thy power and posses- 
sions. ' ' He now revealed to the count certain 
signs and portents which would take place 
during the battle. ' ' When thou shalt see 
these," said he, "be assured that Heaven is 
on thy side, and thy victory secure." The 
count listened with devout attention. "If 
these things do indeed come to pass," said he, 
" I will found a church and convent in this 
place, to be dedicated to St. Peter, the patron 
saint of this hermitage ; and when I die my 
body shall be interred here. ' ' Receiving then 
the benediction of the holy friar he departed. 





'*m®M 



Cbapter OT1K 

The Battle of the Ford of Cascajares. 

WHEN Count Fernan Gonzalez re- 
turned to his troops he found them 
in great alarm at his absence, fear- 
ing some evil had befallen him ; 
but he cheered them with an account of his 
adventure and of the good fortune predicted 
by the hermit. 

It was in the month of May, on the day of 
the Holy Cross, that the Christian and Moslem 
armies came in sight of each other. The 
Moors advanced with a great sound of trum- 
pets, atabals, and cymbals, and their mighty 
host extended over hill and valley. When 
they saw how small was the force of the 
Christians they put up derisive shouts, and 
rushed forward to surround them. 

Don Fernan Gonzalez remained calm and 
unmoved upon a rising ground, for the hour 
was at hand when the sign of victory prom- 

172 



afernan <3ott3ale3 173 



ised by the hermit was to take place. Near 
by him was a youthful cavalier, Pedro Gonza- 
lez by name, native of La Puente de Hitero, 
of fiery courage but vainglorious temper. He 
was cased in shining armor, and mounted on a 
beautiful horse impatient of spirit as himself, 
and incessantly foaming and champing on the 
bit and pawing the earth. As the Moors drew 
near, while there was yet a large space between 
them and the Christains, this fiery cavalier 
could no longer contain himself, but giving 
reins to his steed set off headlong to encounter 
the foe ; when suddenly the earth opened, 
man and horse rushed downward into an abyss, 
and the earth closed as before. 

A cry of horror ran through the Christian 
ranks, and a panic was like to seize upon them, 
but Don Fernan Gonzalez rode in front of them, 
exclaiming : * ' This is the promised sign of vic- 
tory. Let us see how Castilians defend their 
lord, for my standard shall be borne into the 
thickest of the fight/ ' So saying, he ordered 
Orbita Fernandez to advance his standard ; and 
when his troops saw the silver cross glittering 
on high and borne toward the enemy, they 
shouted ' ' Castile ! Castile ! ' ' and rushed for- 
ward to the fight. Immediately around the 
standard fought Don Gonzalo Gustios and his 
seven sons, and he was, say the old chroniclers, 



i74 Spanisb papers 



like a lion leading his whelps into the fight. 
Wherever they fought their way, they might 
be traced by the bodies of bleeding and ex- 
piring infidels. Few particulars of this battle 
remain on record ; but it is said that the Moors 
were as if struck with sudden fear and weak- 
ness, and fled in confusion. Almanzor himself 
escaped by the speed of his horse, attended by 
a handful of his cavaliers. 

In the camp of the Moors was found vast 
booty in gold and silver, and other precious 
things, with sumptuous armor and weapons. 
When the spoil was divided and the troops 
were refreshed, Don Fernan Gonzalez went 
with his cavaliers in pious procession to the 
hermitage of San Pedro.* Here he gave much 

* It does not appear that Count Fernan Gonzalez 
kept his promise of founding a church and monastery 
on the site of the hermitage. The latter edifice re- 
mained to after ages. "It stands," says Sandoval, 
"ona precipice overhanging the river Arlanza, inso- 
much that it inspires dread to look below. It is ex- 
tremely ancient ; large enough to hold a hundred 
persons. Within the chapel is an opening like a 
chasm, leading down to a cavern larger than the 
church, formed in the solid rock, with a small window 
which overlooks the river. It was here the Christians 
used to conceal themselves. " 

As a corroboration of the adventure of the Count of 
Castile, Sandoval assures us that in his day the oak 



jfernan <3on3ale3 



175 



silver and gold to the worthy Fray Pelayo, to 
be expended in masses for the souls of the 
Christian warriors who had fallen in battle, and 
in prayers for further victories over the infidels ; 
after which he returned in triumph to his capi- 
tal of Burgos. 

still existed to which Don Fernan Gonzalez tied his 
horse, when he alighted to scramble np the hill in 
pursuit of the boar. The worthy Fray Agapida, how- 
ever, needed no corroboration of the kind, swallowing 
the whole story with the ready credence of a pious 
monk. The action here recorded was known by the 
name of the battle of the Ford of Cascajares. 

Sandoval gives a different account of the fate of the 
hermits. He says that Almanzor, in a rage at their 
prognostics, overthrew their chapel, and, without 
alighting from his horse, ordered the three monks to 
be beheaded in his presence. " This martyrdom,' ' he 
adds, "is represented in an ancient painting of the 
chapel which still exists/ ' 





Cbapter 1OT11. 

Of the Message Sent by the Count to Sancho II. , King 
of Navarre, and the Reply — Their Encounter in 
Battle. 



THE good Count of Castile was so in- 
spirited by this signal victory over the 
Moors, and their great general Alman- 
zor, that he determined, now that he 
had a breathing-spell from infidel warfare, to 
redress certain grievances sustained from one 
of his Christian neighbors. This was Don San- 
cho II., King of Navarre, surnamed Abarca, 
either from the abarcas or shepherd shoes, which 
he had worn in early life, when brought up in 
secrecy and indigence, during the overthrow 
of his country by the Moors, or from making 
his soldiers wear shoes of the kind in crossing 
the snowy Pyrenees. It was a name by which 
the populace delighted to call him. 

This prince had recovered all Navarre from 
the infidels, and even subjected to his crown 

176 



jfernan <Son3ale3 177 



all Biscay, or Cantabria, and some territory be- 
yond the Pyrenees, on the confines of France. 
Not content with these acquisitions, he had 
made occasional inroads into Castile, in conse- 
quence of a contest respecting the territories of 
Najarra and Rioxa, to which he laid claim. 
These incursions he repeated whenever he had 
peace or truce with the Moors.* 

Count Fernan Gonzalez, having now time, 
as has been observed, to attend to these mat- 
ters, sent an ambassador to King Sancho, 
charged with a courteous but resolute message. 
* ' I come, Seflor, ' ' said the ambassador to the 
king, ' * by command of the Count Fernan Gon- 
zalez of Castile, and this is what I am told to 
say. You have done him much wrong in times 
past, by leaguing with the infidels and making 
inroads into his territories while he was absent 
or engaged in war. If you will amend your 
ways in this respect, and remedy the past, you 
will do him much pleasure ; but if you refuse, 
he sends you his defiance. ' ' 

King Sancho Abarca was lost in astonish- 
ment and indignation at receiving such a mes- 
sage from a count of Castile. " Return to the 
count, ' ' said he, ' ' and tell him I will amend 
nothing; that I marvel at his insolence, and 

* Sandoval. The Five Bishops, Mariana, lib. 8, c. 
5> P- 367. Cron, Gen. de Espana y part 3, c. 18, fol. 53. 



178 Spanisb papers 



hold him for a madman for daring to defy me. 
Tell him he has listened to evil counsel, or a 
few trifling successes against the Moors have 
turned his brain ; but it will be very different 
when I come to seek him, for there is not town or 
tower from which I will not drag him forth."* 

The ambassador returned with this reply, 
nor did he spare the least of its scorn and bit- 
terness. Upon this the count assembled his 
cavaliers and councillors, and represented the 
case. He exhorted them to stand by him in 
seeking redress for this insult and injury to 
their country and their chieftain. "We are 
not equal in numbers to the enemy, but we are 
valiant men, united and true to each other, and 
one hundred good lances, all in the hands of 
chosen cavaliers, all of one heart and mind, 
are worth three hundred placed by chance in 
the hands of men who have no common tie." 
The cavaliers all assured him they would follow 
and obey him as loyal subjects of a worthy 
lord, and would prove their fealty in the da3' 
of battle. 

A little army of staunch Castilians was soon 
assembled, the silver cross was again reared on 
high by the standard-bearer Orbita Velasquez, 
and the count advanced resolutely a day's 
journey into the kingdom of Navarre, for his 
* Cron. Gen. de Espana, ut supra. 



jfernan <5on;$ale3 179 



maxim was to strike quickly and sudden. 
King Sancho wondered at his daring, but 
hastened to meet him with a greatly superior 
force. The armies came in sight of each other 
at a place called the Era de Gollanda. 

The count now addressed his men. " The 
enemy/' said he, "are more numerous than 
we ; they are vigorous of body and light of foot, 
and are dexterous in throwing darts. They 
will have the advantage if they attack us ; but 
if we attack them and close manfully, we shall 
get the field of them before they have time to 
hurl their darts and wound us. For my part, 
I shall make for the king. If I can but re- 
venge the wrongs of Castile upon his person 
I care not how soon I die." 

As the armies drew near each other the Cas- 
tilians, true to the orders of their chieftain, put 
up the war-cry, " Castile ! Castile ! " and rush- 
ing forward, broke through the squadrons of 
Navarre. Then followed a fight so pitiless and 
deadly, says an old chronicler, that the strokes 
of their weapons resounded through the whole 
country. The count sought King Sancho 
throughout the whole field ; they met and recog- 
nized each other by their armorial bearings and 
devices. They fought with fury, until both fell 
from their horses as if dead. The Castilians cut 
their way through the mass of the enemy, and 



1S0 Spantsb papers 



surrounded their fallen chief. Some raised him 
from the earth while others kept off the foe. 
At first they thought him dead, and were loud 
in their lamentations ; but when the blood and 
dust were wiped from his face he revived and 
told them not to heed him, for his wounds were 
nothing ; but to press on and gain the victory, 
for he had slain the King of Navarre. 

At hearing this they gave a great shout and 
returned to the fight ; but those of Navarre, 
seized with terror at the fall of their king, 
turned their backs and fled. 

The count then caused the body of the king 
to be taken from among the slain and to be 
conducted, honorably attended, to Navarre. 
Thus fell Sancho Abarca, King of Navarre, 
and was succeeded by his son Don Garcia, sur- 
surnamed the Trembler. 





Cbapter 1F£ . 

How the Count of Toulouse Makes a Campaign 
against Castile, and how he Returns in his Coffin. 

WHIIyK the Count Fernan Gonzalez 
was yet ill of his wounds in his 
capital, and when his soldiers had 
scarce laid by their cuirasses and 
hung up their shields and lances, there was a 
fresh alarm of war. The Count of Toulouse 
and Poictiers, the close friend and ally of King 
Sancho Abarca, had come from France with a 
host to his assistance, but finding him defeated 
and slain, raised his standard to make a cam- 
paign, in his revenge, against the Castilians. 
The Navarrese all gathered round him, and 
now an army was on foot more powerful than 
the one which had recently been defeated. 

Count Fernan Gonzalez, wounded as he was, 
summoned his troops to march against this new 
enemy ; but the war-worn Castilians, vexed 
at being thus called again to arms before they 

181 



182 Spanisb papers 



had time to breathe, began to murmur. " This 
is the life of the very Devil," said they, " to go 
about day and night, without a moment's rest. 
This lord of ours is assuredly Satan himself, 
and we are lesser devils in his employ, always 
busy entrapping the souls of men. He has no 
pity for us, so battered and worn, nor for him- 
self, so badly wounded. It is necessary that 
some one should talk with him, and turn him 
from his madness." 

Accordingly a hardy cavalier, Nufio I,aynez, 
remonstrated with the count against further 
fighting until he should be cured of his wounds 
and his people should have time to repose ; for 
mortal men could not support this kind of 
life. " Nor is this urged through cowardice," 
added he, ' ' for your men are ready to fight 
for and defend you as they would their own 
souls." 

"Well have you spoken, Nufio Iyaynez," 
replied the count; "yet for all this I am 
not minded to defer this fight. A day lost 
never returns. An opportunity foregone can 
never be recalled. The warrior who indulges 
in repose will never leave the memory of great 
deeds behind him. His name dies when his 
soul leaves the body. L,et us, therefore, make 
the most of the days and hours, allotted us, 
and crown them with such glorious deeds 



ffernan (3on3alc3 183 



that the world shall praise us in all future 
time/' 

When Nufio L,aynez repeated these gener- 
ous words to the cavaliers, the blood glowed 
in their veins, and they prepared themselves 
manfully for the field ; nor did the count give 
them time to cool before he put himself at their 
head and marched to meet the enemy. He 
found them drawn up on the opposite side of 
a river which was swollen and troubled by re- 
cent rains. Without hesitation he advanced to 
ford it, but his troops were galled by flights of 
darts and arrows as they crossed, and received 
with lances on the water's edge ; the bodies of 
many floated down the turbid stream, and 
many perished on the banks. They made 
good their crossing, however, and closed with 
the enemy. The fight was obstinate and the 
Castilians were hardly pressed, being so in- 
ferior in number. Don Fernan Gonzalez gal- 
loped along the front of the enemy. " Where 
is the Count of Toulouse ? " cried he ; " let 
him come forth and face me, — me, Fernan 
Gonzalez of Castile, who defy him to single 
combat I" The count answered promptly to 
the defiance. No one from either side pre- 
sumed to interfere while the two counts en- 
countered, man to man and horse to horse, like 
honorable and generous cavaliers. They rushed 



184 5panf5b papers 



upon each other with the full speed of their 
horses ; the lance of Don Fernan pierced 
through all the armor and accoutrements of 
the Count of Toulouse and bore him out of 
the saddle, and before he touched the earth his 
soul had already parted from his body. The 
men of Toulouse, seeing their chief fall dead, 
fled amain, but were pursued, and three hun- 
dred of them taken.* 

The field being won, Count Fernan Gonza- 
lez alighted and took off the armor of the 
Count of Toulouse, with his own hands, and 
wrapped him in a xemete, or Moorish mantle, 
of great value, which he had gained when he 
conquered Almanzor. He ordered a coffin to 
be made, and covered with cloth of gold, and 
studded with silver nails, and he put therein 
the body of the count, and delivered it to the 
captive cavaliers, whom he released and fur- 
nished with money for their expenses, making 
them swear not to leave the body of the count 
until they had conducted it to Toulouse. So 
the count, who had come from France in 
such chivalrous state, at the head of an array 
of shining warriors, returned in his coffin 
with a mourning train of vanquished cavaliers, 
while Count Fernan Gonzalez conducted his 
victorious troops in triumph back to Burgos. 
* Cron. Gen, de Espana. 



jfernan (5oti3ale3 



185 



This signal victory took place in the year of 
our Redemption 926, in the beginning of the 
reign of Alfonso the Monk on the throne of 
I>on and the Asturias.* 

* Mariana, lib. 8, c. 5, p. 367. 





Cbapter £ . 

How the Count Went to Receive the Hand of a 
Princess, and was Thrown into a Dungeon — Of the 
Stranger that Visited him in his Chains, and of the 
Appeal that he Made to the Princess for his Deliv- 
erance. 

GARCIA II. , who had succeeded to the 
throne of Navarre on the death of 
his father, was brave of soul, though 
surnamed El Tembloso, or The 
Trembler. He was so called because he was 
observed to tremble on going into battle ; but, 
as has been said of others, it was only the 
flesh that trembled, foreseeing the dangers into 
which the spirit would carry it. This king 
was deeply grieved at the death of his father, 
slain by Count Fernan Gonzalez, and would 
have taken vengeance by open warfare, but he 
was counselled by his mother, the Queen 
Teresa, to pursue a subtler course. At her 
instigation overtures were made to the count 

186 



jfernan <3ort3ale3 187 



to settle all the feuds between Navarre and 
Castile by a firm alliance, and to this end it 
was proposed that the count should take to 
wife Dona Sancha, the sister of King Garcia 
and daughter of King Sancho Abarca. The 
count accepted gladly the proffered alliance, 
for he had heard of the great merit and beauty 
of the princess, and was pleased with so agree- 
able a mode of putting an end to all their con- 
tests. A conference was accordingly appointed 
between the count and King Garcia, to take 
place at Ciruena, each to be attended only by 
five cavaliers. 

The count was faithful to his compact, and 
appeared at the appointed place with five of the 
bravest of his cavaliers ; but the king arrived 
with five-and-thirty chosen men, all armed 
cap-a-pie. The count, suspecting treachery, 
retreated with his cavaliers into a neighboring 
hermitage, and, barricading the door, defended 
himself throughout the day until nightfall. 
Seeing there was no alternative, he at length 
capitulated and agreed to surrender himself 
a prisoner, and pay homage to the king, on 
the latter assuring him, under oath, that 
his life should be secure. King Garcia the 
Trembler, having in this wily manner gained 
possession of the count, threw him in irons 
and conducted him a prisoner to Navarre, 



t88 Spantsb papers 



where he confined him in a strong castle called 
Castro Viejo. At his intercession, however, his 
five cavaliers were released, and carried back 
to Castile the doleful tidings of his captivity. 

Now it came to pass that a brave Norman 
count, who was performing a pilgrimage to St. 
Iago of Compostella, heard that the Count 
Fernan Gonzalez, whose renown had spread 
far and wide, lay in chains in Castro Viejo. 
Having a vehement desire to see the man of 
whom fame had spoken so loudly, he repaired 
to the castle, and bribed his way to the prison 
of the count. When he entered and beheld 
so noble a cavalier in a solitary dungeon and 
in chains, he was sore at heart. The count 
looked up with wonder as this stranger stood 
before him in pilgrim garb and with sorrowful 
aspect, but when he learned his name and 
rank, and the object of his visit, he gave him 
the right hand of friendship. 

The pilgrim count left the castle more en- 
amoured than ever of the character of Count 
Fernan Gonzalez. At a festival of the court 
he beheld the Princess Sancha, who had served 
as a lure to draw the good count into the 
power of his enemies, and he found her of 
surpassing beauty, and of a gentle and loving 
demeanor ; so he determined to seek an oppor- 
tunity to speak with her in private, for surely, 



ffetnan <3on3aIe3 189 



thought he, in such a bosom must dwell the 
soft pity of womanhood. Accordingly one 
day as the princess was walking in the garden 
with her ladies, he presented himself before 
her in his pilgrim's garb, and prayed to speak 
with her apart, as if on some holy mission. 
And when they were alone, " How is this, 
princess,' ' said he, " that you are doing such 
great wrong to Heaven, to yourself, and to all 
Christendom ? ' ' The princess started, and 
said : " What wrong have I done? " Then 
replied the pilgrim count : " Behold, for thy 
sake the noblest of cavaliers, the pride of Spain, 
the flower of chivalry, the hope of Christen- 
dom, lies in a dungeon, fettered with galling 
chains. What lady but would be too happy 
to be honored with the love of Count Fernan 
Gonzalez ; and thou hast scorned it ! How 
will it tell for thy fame in future times, that 
thou wast made a snare to capture an honor- 
able knight ; that the gentlest, the bravest, 
the most generous of cavaliers was inveigled 
by the love of thee to be thrown into a dun- 
geon ? How hast thou reversed the maxims of 
chivalry ! Beauty has ever been the friend 
of valor ; but thou hast been its foe ! The 
fair hands of lovely dames have ever bestowed 
laurels and rewards on those gallant knights 
who sought and deserved their loves ; thou 



190 Spanisb {papers 



hast bestowed chains and a dungeon. Behold, 
the Moors rejoice in his captivity, while all 
Christians mourn. Thy name will be accursed 
throughout the land like that of Cava ; but 
shouldst thou have the heroism to set him 
free, thou wilt be extolled above all Spanish 
ladies. Hadst thou but seen him as I have 
done, alone, abandoned, enchained ; yet so 
noble, so courteous, so heroic in his chains, 
that kings upon their thrones might envy the 
majesty of his demeanor. If thou couldst feel 
love for man, thou shouldst do it for this 
knight ; for I swear to thee on this cross 
which I bear, that never was there king 
or emperor in the world so worthy of woman's 
love. ,, When the pilgrim count had thus 
spoken, he left the princess to meditate upon 
his words. 





Cbapter £1. 

Of the Meditations of the Princess, and their Result 
— Her Flight from the Prison with the Count, and 
Perils of the Escape — The Nuptials. 

THE Princess Sancha remained for some 
time in the garden, revolving in her 
mind all that she had just heard, and 
tenderness for the Count Fernan Gon- 
zalez began to awaken in her bosom ; for noth- 
ing so touches the heart of woman as the idea 
of valor suffering for her sake. The more the 
princess meditated the more she became en- 
amoured. She called to mind all she had heard 
of the illustrious actions of the count. She 
thought upon the pictures just drawn of him 
in prison — so noble, so majestic in his chains. 
She remembered the parting words of the 
pilgrim count — "Never was there king or 
emperor so worthy of a woman's love." 
"Alas!" cried she, "was there ever a lady 
more unfortunate than I ? All the love and 
devotion of this noble cavalier I might have 

191 



192 Spantsb papers 



had, and behold it has been made a mockery. 
Both he and myself have been wronged by the 
treachery of my brother.' ' 

At length the passion of the princess arose 
to such a height that she determined to de- 
liver the count from the misery of which she 
had been made the instrument. So she found 
means one night to bribe the guards of his 
prison, and made her way to his dungeon. 
When the count saw her, he thought it a beau- 
tiful vision, or some angel sent from heaven 
to comfort him, for certainly her beauty sur- 
passed the ordinary loveliness of woman. 

" Noble cavalier,' ' said the princess, "this 
is no time for idle words and ceremonies. Be- 
hold before you the Princess Dona Sancha ; 
the word which my brother brake I am here to 
fulfil. You came to receive my hand, and, in- 
stead, you were thrown in chains. I come to 
yield you that hand, and to deliver you from 
those chains. Behold, the door of your prison 
is open, and I am ready to fly with you to the 
ends of the earth. Swear to me one word, 
and when you have sworn it, I know your 
loyalty too well to doubt that you will hold 
your oath sacred. Swear that if I fly with 
you, you will treat me with the honor of a 
knight ; that you will make me your wife, and 
never leave me for any other woman. ' ' 



tfernan 0oii3ate3 193 



The count swore all this on the faith of a 
Christian cavalier ; and well did he feel dis- 
posed to keep his oath, for never before had 
he beheld such glorious beauty. 

So the princess led the way, and her author- 
ity and her money had conquered the fidelity 
of the guards, so that they permitted the 
count to sally forth with her from the prison. 

It was a dark night, and they left the great 
road and climbed a mountain. The count was 
so fettered by his chains that he moved with 
difficulty, but the princess helped and some- 
times almost carried him ; for what will not 
delicate woman perform when her love and 
pity are fully aroused. Thus they toiled on 
their way until the day dawned, when they 
hid themselves in the cliffs of the mountain, 
among rocks and thickets. While thus con- 
cealed they beheld an archpriest of the castle, 
mounted on a mule with a falcon on his fist, 
hawking about the lower part of the mountain. 
The count knew him to be a base and malig- 
nant man, and watched his movements with 
great anxiety. He had two hounds beating 
about the bushes, which at length got upon 
the traces of the count and princess, and dis- 
covering them set up a violent barking. 
Alighting from his mule, the archpriest clam- 
bered up to where the fugitives were concealed. 
13 



i94 Spanisb papers 



He knew the count, and saw that he had es- 
caped. 4 ' Aha ! traitor," cried he, drawing his 
sword, " think not to escape from the power of 
the king. ' ' The count saw that resistance was 
in vain, for he was without weapons and in 
chains, and the archpriest was a powerful man, 
exceeding broad across the shoulders ; he 
sought, therefore, to win him by fair words, 
promising that if he would aid him to escape 
he would give him a city in Castile, for him 
and his heirs forever. But the archpriest was 
more violent than ever, and held his sword at 
the breast of the count to force him back to 
the castle. Upon this the princess rushed for- 
ward, and with tears in her eyes implored him 
not to deliver the count into the hands of his 
enemies. But the heart of the priest was in- 
flamed by the beauty of the princess, and 
thinking her at his mercy, ' ' Gladly, ' ' said he, 
"will I assist the count to escape, but upon 
one condition.' ' Then he whispered a pro- 
posal which brought a crimson glow of horror 
and indignation into the cheeks of the princess, 
and he would have laid his hand upon her, 
but he was suddenly lifted from the earth by 
the strong grasp of the count, who bore him to 
the edge of a precipice and flung him head- 
long down ; and his neck was broken in the 
fall. 



jFernan <3on3ate3 tgi 



The count then took the mule of the arch- 
priest, his hawk, and his hounds, and after 
keeping in the secret parts of the mountain 
all day, he and the princess mounted the mule 
at night, and pursued their way, by the most 
rugged and unfrequented passes, towards Cas- 
tile. 

As the day dawned they found themselves 
in an open plain at the foot of the mountains, 
and beheld a body of horsemen riding towards 
them, conducting a car, in which sat a knight 
in armor, bearing a standard. The princess 
now gave all up for lost. " These,'' said she, 
"are sent by my brother in pursuit of us; 
how can we escape, for this poor animal has 
no longer strength nor speed to bear us up 
the mountains ?" Upon this Count Fernan 
alighted, and drawing the sword of the arch- 
priest, placed himself in a narrow pass. ' ' Do 
you," said he to the princess, "turn back and 
hasten to the mountains, and dearly shall it 
cost him who attempts to follow you." " Not 
so," replied the princess ; " for the love of me 
hast thou been brought from thine own domain 
and betrayed into all these dangers, and I will 
abide to share them with thee." 

The count would have remonstrated, when 
to his astonishment he saw, as the car drew 
near, that the knight seated in it was clad in 



196 Spanisb ©apera 



his own armor, with his own devices, and held 
his own banner in his hand. ' ' Surely, ' ' said 
he, crossing himself, "this is enchantment' ' ; 
but on looking still nearer, he recognized among 
the horsemen Nufio Sandias and Nuno I^aynez, 
two of his most faithful knights. Then his 
heart leaped for joy. "Fear nothing," cried 
he to the princess ; "behold my standard, and 
behold my vassals. Those whom you feared 
as enemies shall kneel at your feet and kiss 
your hand in homage." 

Now so it appears that the tidings of the 
captivity of the count had spread mourning 
and consternation throughout Castile, and the 
cavaliers assembled together to devise means 
for his deliverance. And certain of them had 
prepared this effigy of the count, clad in his 
armor and bearing his banner and devices, and 
having done homage and sworn fealty to it as 
they would have done to the count himself, 
they had placed it in his car and set forth with 
it as a leader, making a vow, in the spirit of 
ancient chivalry, never to return to their homes 
until they should have delivered the count 
from his captivity. 

When the cavaliers recognized the count, 
they put up shouts of joy, and kissed his hands 
and the hands of the princess in token of 
devoted loyalty. And they took off the fetters 



ffernan <3oti3ale3 



197 



of the count and placed him in the car, and 
the princess beside him, and returned joyfully 
to Castile. 

Vain would be the attempt to describe the 
transports of the multitude as Count Fernan 
Gonzalez entered his noble capital of Burgos. 
The Princess Sancha, also, was hailed with 
blessings wherever she passed, as the deliverer 
of their lord and the savior of Castile, and 
shortly afterwards her nuptials with the count 
were celebrated with feasting and rejoicing 
and tilts and tournament, which lasted for 
many days. 





Cbapter £1f # 

King Garcia Confined in Burgos by the Count — The 
Princess Intercedes for his Release. 

THE rejoicings for the marriage of Count 
Fernan Gonzalez with the beautiful 
Princess Sancha were scarcely finished 
when King Garcia the Trembler came 
with a powerful army to revenge his various 
affronts. The count sallied forth to meet him, 
and a bloody and doubtful battle ensued. The 
Navarrese at length were routed and the king 
was wounded and taken prisoner in single 
combat by Count Fernan, who brought him to 
Burgos and put him in close confinement. 

The Countess Dona Sancha was now almost 
as much afflicted at the captivity of her brother 
as she had been at that of the count, and inter- 
ceded with her husband for his release. The 
count, however, retained too strong a recollec- 
tion of the bad faith of King Garcia and of his 
own treacherous and harsh imprisonment to be 



3fernan <3on3ale3 



199 



easily moved, and the king was kept in du- 
ress for a considerable time. The countess 
then interested the principal cavaliers in her 
suit, reminding them of the services she had 
rendered them in aiding the escape of their 
lord. Through their united intercessions the 
count was induced to relent ; so King Garcia 
the Trembler was released and treated with 
great honor, and sent back to his dominions 
with a retinue befitting his rank. 





Cbapter £ Iff. 

Of the Expedition against the Ancient City of Sylo — 
The Unwitting Trespass of the Count into a Con- 
vent, and his Compunctions thereupon. 

VOLUMES would it take to follow the 
Count Fernan Gonzalez in his heroic 
achievements against the infidels, — - 
achievements which give to sober his- 
tory almost the air of fable. I forbear to dwell 
at large upon one of his campaigns, wherein he 
scoured the valley of Iyaguna ; passed victori- 
ously along the banks of the Douro, building 
towers and castles to keep the country in sub- 
jection ; how he scaled the walls of the castle 
of Ormaz, being the first to mount, sword in 
hand ; how by the valor of his arm he captured 
the city of Orma ; how he took the town of 
Sandoval, the origin of the cavaliers of Sando- 
val, who were anciently called Salvadores ; how 
he made an inroad even to Madrid, then a 

200 



jFernan <Son3aIe3 201 



strongly fortified village, and having taken and 
sacked it, returned in triumph to Burgos. 

But it would be wronging the memory of 
this great and good cavalier to pass in silence 
over one of his exploits, in which he gave a 
singular instance of his piety. This was in 
an expedition against the ancient city of Sylo. 
It was not a place of much value in itself, 
being situated in a cold and sterile country, 
but it had become a stronghold of the Moors, 
whence they carried on their warfare. This 
place the count carried by assault, entering it 
in full armor, on his steed, overturning and 
slaying all who opposed him. In the fury of 
his career he rode into a spacious edifice which 
he supposed to be a mosque, with the pious 
intention of slaying every infidel he might 
find within. On looking round, however, 
great was his astonishment at beholding images 
of saints, the blessed cross of our Saviour, and 
various other sacred objects, which announced 
a church devoted to the veritable faith. Struck 
with remorse, he sprang from his horse, threw 
himself upon his knees, and with many tears 
implored pardon of God for the sin he had 
unknowingly committed. While he was yet 
on his knees, several monks of the Order of St. 
Dominic approached, meagre in looks and 
squalid in attire, but hailing him with great 



202 Spanieb papers 



joy as their deliverer. In sooth this was a 
convent of San Sebastian, the fraternity of 
which had remained captives among the 
Moors, supporting themselves poorly by mak- 
ing baskets, but permitted to continue in the 
exercise of their religion. 

Still filled with pious compunction for the 
trespass he had made, the count ordered that 
the shoes should be taken from his horse and 
nailed upon the door of the church ; for never, 
said he, shall they tread any other ground 
after having trodden this holy place. From 
that day, we are told, it has been the custom 
to nail the shoes of horses on the portal of that 
convent — a custom which has extended to 
many other places. 

The worthy Fray Prudencia de Sandoval 
records a marvellous memento of the expedition 
of the count against this city, which remained, 
he says, until his day. Not far from the place, 
on the road which passes by L,ara, is to be seen 
the print of his horse's hoofs in a solid rock, 
which has received the impression as though 
it had been made in softened wax.* It is to 
be presumed that the horse's hoofs had been 
gifted with miraculous hardness in reward to 
the count for his pious oblation of the shoes. 

* Sandoval, p. 313. 




Cbapter f TO, 

Of the Moorish Host that Came up from Cordova, and 
how the Count Repaired to the Hermitage of San 
Pedro, and Prayed for Success against them, and 
Received Assurance of Victory in a Vision — Battle 
of Hazinas. 

THE worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, from 
whose manuscripts this memoir is ex- 
tracted, passes by many of the striking 
and heroic deeds of the count, which 
crowd the pages of ancient chroniclers ; but 
the good friar ever is sure to dwell with delight 
upon any of those miraculous occurrences 
which took place in Spain in those days, and 
which showed the marked interposition of 
Heaven in behalf of the Christian warriors in 
their battles with the infidels. Such was the 
renowned battle of Hazinas, which, says Aga- 
pida, for its miraculous events is worthy of 
eternal blazon. 

Now so it was that the Moorish king of 
Cordova had summoned all the faithful, both 

203 



2o 4 Spanfeb papers 



of Spain and Africa, to assist him in recover- 
ing the lands wrested from him by the 
unbelievers, and especially by Count Fernan 
Gonzalez in his late victories ; and such count- 
less legions of turbaned warriors were assem- 
bled that it was said they covered the plains 
of Andalusia like swarms of locusts. 

Hearing of their threatening approach, the 
count gathered together his forces at Piedra- 
fita, while the Moors encamped in Hazinas. 
When, however, he beheld the mighty host 
arrayed against him, his heart for once was 
troubled with evil forebodings, and calling to 
mind the cheering prognostications of the friar 
Pelayo on a like occasion, he resolved to repair 
again to that holy man for counsel. leaving 
his camp, therefore, secretly, he set out, accom- 
panied by two cavaliers, to seek the chapel 
which he had ordered to be built at the her- 
mitage of San Pedro, on the mountain over- 
hanging the river Arlanza, but when arrived 
there he heard to his great grief that the 
worthy friar was dead. 

Entering the chapel, however, he knelt down 
at the altar and prayed for success in the com- 
ing fight; humbly representing that he had 
never, like many of the kings and nobles of 
Spain, done homage to the infidels and ac- 
knowledged them for sovereigns. The count 



ffernan <3on3ale3 205 



remained a long time at prayer, until sleep 
gradually stole over him ; and as he lay slum- 
bering before the altar the holy Fray Pelayo 
appeared before him in a vision, clad in gar- 
ments as white as snow. " Why sleepest thou, 
Fernan Gonzalez ?" said he; " arise, and go 
forth, and know that thou shalt conquer those 
Moors. For, inasmuch as thou art a faithful 
vassal of the Most High, he has commanded 
the Apostle San Iago and myself, with many 
angels, to come to thy aid, and we will appear 
in the battle clad in white armor, with each of 
us a red cross upon our pennon. Therefore 
arise, I say, and go hence with a valiant 
heart.' ' 

The count awoke, and while he was yet 
musing upon the vision he heard a voice say- 
ing : ' ' Arise, and get thee hence ; why dost 
thou linger ? Separate thy host into three 
divisions : enter the field of battle by the east, 
with the smallest division, and I will be with 
thee ; and let the second division enter by the 
west, and that shall be aided by San Iago ; and 
let the third division enter by the north. 
Know that I am San Millan who come to thee 
with this message.' ' 

The count departed joyfully from the chapel, 
and returned to his army ; and when he told 
his troops of this, his second visit to the her- 



2o6 Spantsb papers 



mitage, and of the vision he had had, and how 
the holy friar San Pelayo had again assured 
him of victory, their hearts were lifted up, and 
they rejoiced to serve under a leader who had 
such excellent counsellors in war. 

In the evening preceding the battle Don 
Fernan Gonzalez divided his forces as he had 
been ordered. The first division was com- 
posed of two hundred horsemen and six thou- 
sand infantry ; hardy mountaineers, light of 
foot and of great valor. In the advance were 
Don Gustios Gonzalez of Salas, and his seven 
sons and two nephews, and his brother Ruy 
Velasquez, and a valiant cavalier named Gon- 
zalo Dias. 

The second division was led by Don I/)pe 
de Biscaya, with the people of Burueba and 
Trevino, and Old Castile and Castro and the 
Asturias. Two hundred horsemen and six 
thousand infantry. 

The third division was led by the count him- 
self, and with him went Ruy Cavia, and Nufio 
Cavia and the Velascos, whom the count that 
day dubbed knights, and twenty esquires of 
the count, whom he had likewise knighted. 
His division consisted of four hundred and fifty 
horse and fifteen hundred foot ; and he told 
his men that if they should not conquer the 
Moors on the following day, they should draw 



jFernan <3on3ale3 207 



off from the battle when he gave the word. 
Late at night, when all the camp, excepting 
the sentinels and guards, were buried in sleep, 
a light suddenly illumed the heavens, and a 
great serpent was seen in the air, wounded and 
covered with blood, and vomiting flames, and 
making a loud hissing that awakened all the 
soldiers. They rushed out of their tents, and 
ran hither and thither, running against each 
other in their affright. Count Fernan Gonzalez 
was awakened by their outcries, but before he 
came forth the serpent had disappeared. He 
rebuked the terrors of his people, representing 
to them that the Moors were great necroman- 
cers, and by their arts could raise devils to their 
aid ; and that some Moorish astrologer had 
doubtless raised this spectrum to alarm them ; 
but he bade them to be of good heart, since 
they had San Iago on their side, and might set 
Moor, astrologer, and devil at defiance. 

In the first day's fight Don Fernan fought 
hand to hand with a powerful Moor, who had 
desired to try his prowess with him. It was 
an obstinate contest, in which the Moor was 
slain ; but the count was so badly wounded 
that he fell to the earth, and had not his men 
surrounded and defended him, he would have 
been slain or captured. The battle lasted all 
day long, and Gustios Gonzalez and his kindred 



2o8 Spanlsb papers 



warriors showed prodigies of valor. Don Fer- 
nan, having had his wounds stanched, re- 
mounted his horse and galloped about, giving 
courage to his men ; but he was covered with 
dust and blood, and so hoarse that he could no 
longer be heard. The sun went down, the 
Moors kept on fighting, confiding in their great 
numbers. The count, seeing the night ap- 
proaching, ordered the trumpets to be sounded, 
and, collecting his troops, made one general 
charge on the Moors, and drove them from the 
field. He then drew off his men to their tents, 
where the weary troops found refreshment and 
repose, though they slept all night upon their 
arms. 

On the second day the count rose before the 
dawn, and having attended mass like a good 
Christian, attended next to his horses, like a 
good cavalier, seeing with his own eyes that 
they were well fed and groomed, and prepared 
for the field. The battle this day was obstinate 
as the day before, with great valor and loss on 
either side. 

On the third day the count led forth his 
forces at an early hour, raising his silver stand- 
ard of the cross, and praying devoutly for aid. 
Then lowering their lances, the Castilians 
shouted ' ' San Iago ! San Iago ! ' ' and rushed 
to the attack. 



ffernan <3on3ale3 209 



Don Gustios Gonzalo de Salas, the leader of 
one of the divisions made a lane into the cen- 
tre of the Moorish host, dealing death on either 
side. He was met by a Moorish cavalier of 
powerful frame. Covering themselves with 
their shields, they attacked each other with 
great fury ; but the days of Gustios Gonzalo 
were numbered, and the Moor slew him, and 
with him fell a nephew of Count Fernan, and 
many of his principal cavaliers. 

Count Fernan Gonzalez encountered the 
Moor who had just slain his friend. The infi- 
del would have avoided him, having heard that 
never man escaped alive from a conflict with 
him ; but the count gave him a furious thrust 
with his lance, which stretched him dead upon 
the field. 

The Moors, however, continued to press the 
count sorely, and their numbers threatened to 
overwhelm him. Then he put up a prayer for 
the aid promised in his vision, and of a sudden 
the Apostle San Iago appeared, with a great 
and shining company of angels in white, bear- 
ing the device of a red cross, and all rushing 
upon the Moors. The Moors were dismayed 
at the sight of this reinforcement to the enemy. 
The Christians, on the other hand, recovered 
their forces, knowing the Apostle San Iago to 
be at hand. They charged the Moors with new 



2IO 



Spanisb papers 



vigor, and put them to flight, and pursued 
them for two days, killing and making captive. 
They then returned and gathered together the 
bodies of the Christians who had been slain, 
and buried them in the chapel of San Pedro of 
Arlanza and in other hermitages. The bodies 
of the Moors were piled up and covered with 
earth, forming a mound which is still to be 
seen on the field of battle. 

Some have ascribed to the signal worn in 
this battle by the celestial warriors the origin 
of the Cross of Calatrava. 







Cbapter £10. 

The Count Imprisoned by the King of I^eon — The 
Countess Concerts his Kscape — I/eon and Castile 
United by the Marriage of the Prince Ordono with 
Urraca, the Daughter of the Count by his First 
Wife. 

NOT long after this most renowned and 
marvellous battle, a Moorish captain 
named Aceyfa became a vassal of the 
Count Don Fernan. Under his pro- 
tection, and that of a rich and powerful Cas- 
tilian cavalier named Diego Mufion, he rebuilt 
Salamanca and Ledesma, and several places on 
the river Tormes, which had been desolated 
and deserted in times past. 

Ramiro the Second, who was at this time 
King of L,eon, was alarmed at seeing a strong 
line of Moorish fortresses erected along the 
borders of his territories, and took the field 
with an army to drive the Moor Aceyfa from 
the land. The proud spirit of Count Fernan 

2EI 



2i2 Spanteb papers 



Gonzalez was aroused at this attack upon his 
Moorish vassal, which he considered an indig- 
nity offered to himself ; so being seconded by 
Don Diego Mufion, he marched forth with his 
chivalry to protect the Moor. In the present 
instance he had trusted to his own head, and 
had neglected to seek advice of saint or her- 
mit ; so his army was defeated by King Ra- 
miro, and himself and Don Diego Mufion taken 
prisoners. The latter was sent in chains to the 
castle of Gordon ; but the count was carried to 
I^eon, where he was confined in a tower of the 
wall, which to this day is pointed out as his 
prison.* 

All Castile was thrown into grief and con- 
sternation by this event, and lamentations were 
heard throughout the land, as though the count 
had been dead. The countess, however, did 
not waste time in idle tears, for she was a lady 
of most valiant spirit. She forthwith assem- 
bled five hundred cavaliers, chosen men of tried 
loyalty and devotion to the count. They met 
in the chapel of the palace, and took an oath 

* In the Cronica General de Espana, this imprison- 
ment is said to have been by King Sancho the Fat ; 
but the cautious Agapida goes according to his favor- 
ite Sandoval in attributing it to King Ramiro, and in 
so doing he is supported by the Chronicle of Bleda, 1. 
3, c. 19. 



jfernan <3ott3ale3 213 



upon the Hoi; Evangelists to follow the coun- 
tess through 'A difficulties and dangers, and to 
obey implicit]/ all her commands for the rescue 
of their lord. With this band the countess de- 
parted secrecy at nightfall, and travelled rap- 
idly until norning, when they left the roads, 
and took t> the mountains, lest their march 
should be dscovered. Arrived near to Leon, 
she halted her band in a thick wood in the 
mountain of Samosa, where she ordered them 
to remain in secrecy. Then clothing herself 
as a pilgrm, with her staff and pannier, she 
sent word to King Ramiro that she was on a 
pilgrimage to San Iago, and entreated that she 
might have permission to visit her husband in 
his prison. King Ramiro not merely granted 
her request, but sallied forth above a league 
from the city with a great retinue to do her 
honor. So the countess entered a second time 
the prison where the count lay in chains, and 
stood before him as his protecting angel. At 
sight of him in this miserable and dishonored 
state, hpwever, the valor of spirit which had 
hithertcj) sustained her gave way, and tears 
flawed j t c rom her eyes. The count received her 
joyfully,, and reproached her with her tears ; 
"for it becomes us," said he, " to submit to 
what is ^imposed upon us by God." 

The (gXruntess now sent to entreat the king 



2i4 Spanisb papers 



that while she remained with t^ e coun ^ ^is 
chains should be taken off. Th4 kj n o- aeain 
granted her request ; and the coii nt was f ree( j 
from his irons, and an excellent t >e( j p repare( i 
in his prison. 

The countess remained with hin a a ^ n j e ht 
and concerted his escape. Before £ g ^ 
light she gave him her pilgrim's dres s an( j sta g- 
and the count went forth from hie. cframiw 
disguised as his wife. The porter at ^e outer 
portal, thinking it to be the counte, ss wou i(j 
have waited for orders from the king. . j^ ^ e 
count, in a feigned voice, entreated no ^. ^ Q ^ e 
detained, lest he should not be able t Q r> er f orm 
his pilgrimage. The porter, mistri ist j no 
deceit, opened the door. The coui lt j ssue( j 
forth, repaired to a place pointed ot^ ^ ^ e 
countess, where two cavaliers awar^ ^ 
with a fleet horse. They all sallied qu i et iy 
forth from the city at the opening of th e o; a |- es 
until they found themselves clear of th^ wa jj s 
when they put spurs to their horses anc^ ma( j e 
their way to the mountain of Samosa. jj ere 
the count was received with shouts of l « ^ 
the cavaliers whom the countess had leivj. j-k ere 
in concealment. 

As the day advanced the keeper of the, r> r i son 
entered the apartment of Don Fernan, l out was 
astonished to find there the beautiful c DUn ^ ess 



jfernan <3ort3ale3 215 



in place of her warrior husband. He conducted 
her before the king, accusing her of the fraud 
by which she had effected the escape of the 
count. King Ramiro was greatly incensed, 
and he demanded of the countess how she 
dared to do such an act. " I dared," replied 
she, " because I saw my husband in misery, 
and felt it my duty to relieve him ; and I dared 
because I was the daughter of a king, and the 
wife of a distinguished cavalier ; as such I 
trust to your chivalry to treat me. ' ' 

The king was charmed with her intrepidity. 
" Senora," said he, " you have acted well and 
like a noble lady, and it will redound to your 
laud and honor/ ' So he commanded that she 
should be conducted to her husband in a man- 
ner befitting a lady of high and noble rank ; 
and the count was overjoyed to receive her in 
safety, and they returned to their dominions 
and entered Burgos at the head of their cav- 
aliers, amidst the transports and acclamations 
of their people. And King Ramiro sought 
the amity of Count Fernan Gonzalez, and pro- 
posed that they should unite their houses by 
some matrimonial alliance which should serve 
as a bond of mutual security. The count 
gladly listened to his proposals. He had a 
fair daughter named Urraca, by his first wife, 
who was now arrived at a marriageable age ; 



2l6 



Spanisb papers 



so it was agreed that nuptials should be 
solemnized between her and the Prince Ordofio, 
son of King Ramiro ; and all L,eon and Castile 
rejoiced at this union, which promised tran- 
quillity to the land. 





Cbapter £ Wl. 

Moorish Incursion into Castile — Battle of San Estevan 
— Of Pascual Vivas and the Miracle that Befell him 
—Death of Ordono III. 

FOR several succeeding years of the career 
of this most redoubtable cavalier, the 
most edifying and praiseworthy traces 
which, remain, says Fray Antonio Aga- 
pida, are to be found in the archives of various 
monasteries, consisting of memorials of pious 
gifts and endowments made by himself and his 
countess, Dona Sancha. 

In the process of time King Ramiro died, 
and was succeeded by his son Ordono III., the 
same who had married Urraca, the daughter 
of Count Fernan. He was surnamed the 
Fierce, either from his savage temper or savage 
aspect. He had a step-brother named Don 
Sancho, nephew, by the mother's side, of King 
Garcia of Navarre, surnamed the Trembler. 
This Don Sancho rose in arms against Ordono 

217 



218 Spanish papers 



at tlie very outset of his reign, seeking to de- 
prive him of his crown. He applied for assis- 
tance to his uncle Garcia and to Count Fernan 
Gonzalez, and it is said both favored his pre- 
tensions. Nay, the count appeared in the field 
in company with King Garcia the Trembler, 
in support of Prince Sancho. It may seem 
strange that he should take up arms against 
his own son-in-law ; and so it certainly ap- 
peared to Ordofio III., for he was so incensed 
against the count that he repudiated his wife 
Urraca and sent her back to her father, telling 
him that since he would not acknowledge him 
as king, he should not have him for son-in-law. 

The kingdom now became a prey to civil 
wars ; the restless part of the subjects of King 
Ordofio rose in rebellion, and everything was 
in confusion. King Ordono succeeded, how- 
ever, in quelling the rebellion, and defended 
himself so ably against King Garcia and Count 
Fernan Gonzalez, that they returned home 
without effecting their object. 

About this time, say the records of Compos- 
tello, the sinful dissensions of the Christians 
brought on them a visible and awful scourge 
from Heaven. A great flame, or, as it were, a 
cloud of fire, passed throughout the land, burn- 
ing towns, destroying men and beasts, and 
spreading horror and devastation even over 



ffcrnan (5oti3ale3 219 



the sea. It passed over Zamora, consuming a 
great part of the place ; it scorched Castro 
Xerez likewise, and Brebiesco and Pan Corvo 
in its progress, and in Burgos one hundred 
houses were consumed. 

" These/ ' said the worthy Agapida, "were 
fiery tokens of the displeasure of Heaven at the 
sinful conduct of the Christians in warring 
upon each other, instead of joining their arms 
like brethren in the righteous endeavor to 
extirpate the vile sect of Mahomet. " 

While the Christians were thus fighting 
among themselves, the Moors, taking advan- 
tage of their discord, came with a great army, 
and made an incursion into Castile as far as 
Burgos. King Ordofio and Count Fernan 
Gonzalez, alarmed at the common danger, 
came to a reconciliation, and took arms to- 
gether against the Moors ; though it does not 
appear that the king received again his repudi- 
ated wife Urraca. These confederate princes 
gave the Moors a great battle near to San 
Estevan. "This battle/ ' says Fray Antonio 
Agapida, " is chiefly memorable for a miracle 
which occurred there," and which is recorded 
by the good friar with an unction and perfect 
credence worthy of a monkish chronicler. 

The Christians were incastellated at San 
Estevan de Gormaz, which is near the banks 



22o Spantsb papers 



of the Douro. The Moors had possession of 
the fortress of Gormaz, about a league farther 
up the river on a lofty and rocky height. 

The battle commenced at the dawn of day. 
Count Fernan Gonzalez, however, before tak- 
ing the field, repaired with his principal cava- 
liers to the church, to attend the first morning's 
mass. Now, at this time, there was in the 
service of the count a brave cavalier named 
Pascual Vivas, who was as pious as he was 
brave, and would pray with as much fervor 
and obstinacy as he would fight. This cavalier 
made it a religious rule with himself, or rather 
had made a solemn vow, that, whenever he 
entered a church in the morning, he would on 
no account leave it until all the masses were 
finished. 

On the present occasion the firmness of this 
brave but pious cavalier was put to a severe 
proof. When the first mass was finished, the 
count and his cavaliers rose and sallied from 
the church in clanking armor, and soon after 
the sound of trumpet and quick tramp of steed 
told that they were off to the encounter. Pas- 
cual Vivas, however, remained kneeling all in 
armor before the altar, waiting, according to 
custom, until all the masses should be finished. 
The masses that morning were numerous, and 
hour after hour passed away ; yet still the 



jfernon <3oit3ale3 221 



cavalier remained kneeling all in armor, with 
weapon in hand, yet so zealous in his devotion 
that he never turned his head. 

All this while the esquire of the cavalier 
was at the door of the church, holding his war- 
horse, and the esquire beheld with surprise the 
count and his warriors depart, while his lord 
remained in the chapel ; and, from the height 
on which the chapel stood, he could see the 
Christian host encounter the Moors at the ford 
of the river, and could hear the distant sound 
of trumpets and din of battle ; and at the sound 
the war-horse pricked his ears and snuffed the 
air and pawed the earth, and showed all the 
eagerness of a noble steed to be among the 
armed men, but still Pascual Vivas came not 
out of the chapel. The esquire was wroth, 
and blushed for his lord, for he thought it was 
through cowardice and not piety that he re- 
mained in the chapel while his comrades were 
fighting in the field. 

At length the masses were finished, and 
Pascual Vivas was about to sally forth when 
horsemen came riding up the hill with shouts 
of victory, for the battle was over and the 
Moors completely vanquished. 

When Pascual Vivas heard this he was so 
troubled in mind that he dared not leave the 
chapel nor come into the presence of the count, 



222 Spanisb papers 



for he said to himself : ' ' Surely I shall be 
looked upon as a recreant knight, who have 
hidden myself in the hour of danger. ' ' Shortly, 
however, came some of his fellow-cavaliers, 
summoning him to the presence of the count ; 
and as he went with a beating heart, they 
lauded him for the valor he had displayed and 
the great services he had rendered, saying that 
to the prowess of his arm they owed the victory. 
The good knight, imagining they were scoff- 
ing at him, felt still more cast down in spirit, 
and entered the presence of the count covered 
with confusion. Here again he was received 
with praises and caresses, at which he was 
greatly astonished, but still thought it all 
done in mockery. When the truth came to 
be known, however, all present were filled with 
wonder, for it appeared as if this cavalier had 
been, at the same moment, in the chapel and 
in the field ; for while he remained on his 
knees before the altar, with his steed pawing 
the earth at the door, a warrior exactly re- 
sembling him, with the same arms, device, 
and steed, had appeared in the hottest of the 
fight, penetrating and overthrowing whole 
squadrons of Moors ; that he had cut his way 
to the standard of the enemy, killed the stand- 
ard-bearer, and carried off the banner in 
triumph ; that his pourpoint and coat-of-mail 



ffernan (5oti3ale3 223 



were cut to pieces, and his horse covered with 
wounds ; yet still he fought on, and through 
his valor chiefly the victory was obtained. 

What more moved astonishment was that 
for every wound received by the warrior and 
his steed in the field, there appeared marks on 
the pourpoint and coat of mail and upon the 
steed of Pascual Vivas, so that he had the 
semblance of having been in the severest press 
of the battle. 

The matter was now readily explained by 
the worthy friars who followed the armies in 
those days, and who were skilful in expound- 
ing the miracles daily occurring in those holy 
wars. A miraculous intervention had been 
vouchsafed to Pascual Vivas. That his piety 
in remaining at his prayers might not put him 
to shame before sinful men, an angel bearing 
his form and semblance had taken his place 
in battle and fought while he prayed. 

The matter being thus explained, all present 
were filled with pious admiration, and Pascual 
Vivas, if he ceased to be extolled as a warrior, 
came near being canonized as a saint.* 

* Bxactly the same kind of miracle is recorded as 
happening in the same place to a cavalier of the name 
of Don Fernan Antolenez, in the service of the Count 
Garcia Fernandez. Fray Antonio Agapida has no 
doubt that the same miracle did actually happen to 



224 Spantsb papers 



King Ordofio IIL did not long survive this 
battle. Scarce had he arrived at Zamora on 
his way homeward, when he was seized with 
a mortal malady of which he died. He was 
succeeded by his brother Don Sancho, the 
same who had formerly endeavored to dispos- 
sess him of his throne. 

both cavaliers ; "for in those days," says he, "there 
was such a demand for miracles that the same had 
frequently to be repeated" witness the repeated ap- 
pearance of Santiago in precisely the same manner, 
to save Christian armies from imminent danger of 
defeat, and achieve wonderful victories over the infi- 
dels, as we find recorded throughout the Spanish 
chronicles. 





Cbapter f M1T. 

King Sancho the Fat— Of the Homage he Exacted 
from Count Fernan Gonzalez, and of the Strange 
Bargain that he Made with him for the Purchase of 
his Horse and Falcon. 



KING SANCHO L, on ascending the 
throne, held a cortes at L,eon, where 
all the great men of the kingdom and 
the princes who owed allegiance to him 
were expected to attend and pay homage. As 
the court of I^eon was excessively tenacious 
of its claim to sovereignty over Castile, the 
absence of Count Fernan Gonzalez was noticed 
with great displeasure by the king, who sent 
missives to him commanding his attendance. 
The count being proud of heart, and stand- 
ing much upon the independence of Castile, 
was unwilling to kiss the hand of any one in 
token of vassalage. He was at length induced 
to stifle his repugnance and repair to the court, 
but he went in almost regal style and with a 

225 



is 



226 Spanf6b papers 



splendid retinue, more like a sovereign making 
a progress through his dominions. 

As he approached the city of I^eon, King 
Sancho came forth in great state to receive him, 
and they met apparently as friends, but there 
was enmity against each other in their hearts. 

The rich and gallant array with which Count 
Fernan made his entry into L,eon was the theme 
of every tongue ; but nothing attracted more 
notice than a falcon, thoroughly trained, which 
he carried on his hand and an Arabian horse, 
of wonderful beauty, which he had gained in 
his wars with the Moors. King Sancho was 
seized with a vehement desire to possess this 
horse and falcon, and offered to purchase them 
of the count. Don Fernan haughtily declined 
to enter into traffic ; but offered them to the 
monarch as a gift. The king was equally 
punctilious in refusing to accept a favor ; but 
as monarchs do not easily forego anything on 
which they have set their hearts, it became 
evident to Count Fernan that it was necessary, 
for the sake of peace, to part with his horse 
and falcon. To save his dignity, however, he 
asked a price corresponding to his rank ; for it 
was beneath a cavalier, he said, to sell his 
things cheap, like a mean man. He de- 
manded, therefore, one thousand marks of sil- 
ver for the horse and falcon, — to be paid on a 



3Fernan <3on3a!e3 227 



stipulated day ; if not paid on that day the 
price to be doubled on the next, and on each 
day's further delay the price should in like 
manner be doubled. To these terms the king 
gladly consented, and the terms were specified 
in a written agreement, which was duly signed 
and witnessed. The king thus gained the 
horse and falcon, but it will be hereinafter 
shown that this indulgence of his fancy cost 
him dear. 

This eager desire for an Arabian steed ap- 
pears the more singular in Sancho the First, 
from his being so corpulent that he could not 
sit on horseback. Hence he is commonly 
known in history by the appellation of King 
Sancho the Fat. His unwieldy bulk, also, 
may be one reason why he soon lost the favor 
of his warrior subjects, who looked upon him 
as a mere trencherman and bed-presser, and not 
fitted to command men who lived in the sad- 
dle, and had rather fight than either eat or 
sleep. 

King Sancho saw that he might soon have 
hard fighting to maintain his throne ; and how 
could he figure as a warrior who could not 
mount on horseback ? In his anxiety he re- 
paired to his uncle, Garcia, King of Navarre, 
surnamed the Trembler, who was an exceed- 
ing meagre man, and asked counsel of him 



228 Spanish papers 



what he should do to cure himself of this 
troublesome corpulency. Garcia the Trembler 
was totally at a loss for a recipe, his own lean- 
ness being a gift of Nature ; he advised him, 
however, to repair to Abderahman, the Mira- 
mamolin of Spain and King of Cordova, with 
whom he was happily at peace, and consult 
with him, and seek advice of the Arabian phy- 
sicians resident at Cordova — the Moors being 
generally a spare and active people, and the 
Arabian physicians skilful above all others in 
the treatment of diseases. 

King Sancho the Fat, therefore, sent amica- 
ble messages beforehand to the Moorish Mira- 
mamolin, and followed them as fast as his 
corpulency would permit ; and he was well 
received by the Moorish sovereign, and re- 
mained for a long time at Cordova, diligently 
employed in decreasing his rotundity. 

While the corpulent king was thus growing 
leaner, discontent broke out among his subjects 
at home ; and Count Fernan Gonzalez, taking 
advantage of it, stirred up an insurrection, 
and placed upon the throne of I^eon Ordofio 
IV., surnamed the Bad, who was a kinsman 
of the late King Ordofio III., and he more 
over gave him his daughter for wife — his 
daughter Urraca, the repudiated wife of the 
late king. 



jfernan <3ott3ale3 229 



If the good Count Fernan Gonzalez sup- 
posed he had fortified himself by this alliance, 
and that his daughter was now fixed for the 
second time, and more firmly than ever, on the 
throne of ]>on, he was grievously deceived ; 
for Sancho I. returned from Cordova at the 
head of a powerful host of Moors, and was no 
longer to be called the Fat, for he had so well 
succeeded under the regimen prescribed by the 
Miramamolin and his Arabian physicians, that 
he could vault into the saddle with merely 
putting his hand upon the pommel. 

Ordofio IV. was a man of puny heart ; no 
sooner did he hear of the approach of King 
Sancho, and of his marvellous leanness and 
agility, than he was seized with terror, and, 
abandoning his throne and his twice-repudiated 
spouse Urraca, he made for the mountains of 
Asturias, or, as others assert, was overtaken by 
the Moors and killed with lances. 





Cbapter flPffl. 

Further of the Horse and Falcon. 

KING SANCHO I., having re-established 
himself on the throne, and recovered 
the good- will of his subjects by his 
leanness and horsemanship, sent a stern 
message to Count Fernan Gonzalez to come to 
his cortes or resign his countship. The count 
was exceedingly indignant at this order, and 
feared, moreover, that some indignity or injury 
would be offered him should he repair to I^eon. 
He made the message known to his principal 
cavaliers, and requested their advice. Most of 
them were of opinion that he should not go to 
the cortes. Don Fernan declared, however, 
that he would not act disloyally in omitting to 
do that which the counts of Castile had always 
performed, although he felt that he incurred 
the risk of death or imprisonment. Leaving 
his son, Garcia Fernandez, therefore, in charge 

230 



jfernan <5on3ale3 231 



of his counsellors, lie departed for I^eon with 
only seven cavaliers. 

As he approached the gates of that city, no 
one came forth to greet him, as had always 
been the custom. This he considered an evil 
sign. Presenting himself before the king, he 
would have kissed his hand, but the monarch 
withheld it. He charged the count with being 
vainglorious and disloyal ; with having ab- 
sented himself from the cortes and conspired 
against his throne ; — for all which he should 
make atonement, and should give hostages or 
pledges for his good faith before he left the 
court. 

The count in reply accounted for absenting 
himself from the cortes by the perfidious treat- 
ment he had formerly experienced at L,eon. 
As to any grievances the king might have 
to complain of, he stood ready to redress them, 
provided the king would make good his own 
written engagement, signed with his own hand 
and sealed with his own seal, to pay for the 
horse and falcon which he had purchased of 
the count on his former visit to L,eon. Three 
years had now elapsed since the day appointed 
for the payment, and in the meantime the 
price had gone on daily doubling, according to 
stipulation. They parted mutually indignant ; 
and, after the count had retired to his quarters, 



232 Spanisb papers 



the king, piqued to maintain his royal word, 
summoned his major-domo, and ordered him 
to take a large amount of treasure and carry it 
to the Count of Castile in payment of his de- 
mand. So the major-domo repaired to the 
count with a great sack of money to settle with 
him for the horse and hawk ; but when he 
came to cast up the account, and double it 
each day that intervened since the appointed 
day of payment, the major-domo, though an 
expert man at figures, was totally confounded, 
and, returning to the king, assured him that 
all the money in the world would not suffice to 
pay the debt. King Sancho was totally at a 
loss how to keep his word, and pay off a debt 
which was more than enough to ruin him. 
Grievously did he repent his first experience 
in traffic, and found that it is not safe even for 
a monarch to trade in horses. 

In the meantime the count was suffered to 
return to Castile ; but he did not let the matter 
rest here ; for, being sorely incensed at the in- 
dignities he had experienced, he sent missives 
to King Sancho, urging his demand of pay- 
ment for the horse and falcon — menacing other- 
wise to make seizures by w r ay of indemnifica- 
tion. Receiving no satisfactory reply, he made 
a foray into the kingdom of Leon, and brought 
off great spoil of sheep and cattle. 



jFetnan (3on3alC3 233 



King Sancho now saw that the count was 
too bold and urgent a creditor to be trifled 
with. In his perplexity he assembled the 
estates of his kingdom, and consulted them 
upon this momentous affair. His counsellors, 
like himself, were grievously perplexed be- 
tween the sanctity of the royal word and the 
enormity of the debt. After much deliberation 
they suggested a compromise — the Count Fer- 
nan Gonzalez to relinquish the debt, and in 
lieu thereof to be released from his vassalage. 

The count agreed right gladly to this com- 
promise, being thus relieved from all tribute 
and imposition, and from the necessity of kiss- 
ing the hand of any man in the world as his 
sovereign. Thus did King Sancho pay with 
the sovereignty of Castile for a horse and fal- 
con, and thus were the Castilians relieved, by 
a skilful bargain in horse-dealing, from all 
subjection to the kingdom of I^eon.* 

* Cronica de Alonso el Sabio, pt. 3, c. 19. 





Cbapter fHf . 

The Last Campaign of Count Fernan — His Death. 

THIJ good Count Fernan Gonzalez was 
now well stricken in years. The fire 
of youth was extinct, the pride and 
ambition of manhood were over ; in- 
stead of erecting palaces and lofty castles, he 
began now to turn his thoughts upon the grave 
and to build his last earthly habitation, the 
sepulchre. 

Before erecting his own, he had one built of 
rich and stately workmanship for his first wife, 
the object of his early love, and her remains 
conveyed to it and interred with great solem- 
nity. His own sepulchre, according to ancient 
promise, was prepared at the chapel and her- 
mitage of San Pedro at Arlanza, where he had 
first communed with the holy Friar Pelayo. 
When it was completed, he merely inscribed 
upon it the word "Obijt," leaving the rest 
to be supplied by others after his death. 

234 



jfernan <3on3ale3 235 



When the Moors perceived that Count Fer- 
nan Gonzalez, once so redoubtable in arms, 
was old and infirm, and given to build 
tombs instead of castles, they thought it a 
favorable time to make an inroad into Castile. 
They passed the border, therefore, in great 
numbers, laying everything waste and beard- 
ing the old lion in his very den. 

The veteran had laid by sword and buckler, 
and had almost given up the world ; but the 
sound of Moorish drum and trumpet called 
him back even from the threshold of the sep- 
ulchre. Buckling on once more his armor 
and bestriding his war-steed, he summoned 
around him his Castilian cavaliers, seasoned 
like him in a thousand battles, and accom- 
panied by his son Garcia Fernandez, who in- 
herited all the valor of his father, issued forth 
to meet the foe, followed by the shouts and 
blessings of the populace, who enjoyed to see 
him once more in arms and glowing with his 
ancient fire. 

The Moors were retiring from an extensive 
ravage, laden with booty and driving before 
them an immense cavalgada, when they des- 
cried a squadron of cavaliers, armed all in 
steel, emerging from a great cloud of dust, 
and bearing aloft the silver cross, the well- 
known standard of Count Fernan Gonzalez, 



236 Spanisb f>aper0 



That veteran warrior came on, as usual, lead- 
ing the way, sword in hand. The very sight 
of his standard had struck dismay into the 
enemy ; but they soon gave way before one of 
his vigorous charges, nor did he cease to pur- 
sue them until they took shelter within the 
very walls of Cordova. Here he wasted the 
surrounding country with fire and sword, and 
after thus braving the Moor in his very capital, 
returned triumphant to Burgos. 

" Such," says Fray Antonio Agapida, " was 
the last campaign in this life of this most valor- 
ous cavalier ' ' ; and now, abandoning all fur- 
ther deeds of mortal enterprise in arms to his 
son Garcia Fernandez, he addressed all his 
thoughts, as he said, to prepare for his cam- 
paign in the skies. He still talked as a veteran 
warrior, whose whole life had been passed in 
arms, but his talk was not of earthly warfare 
nor of earthly kingdoms. He spoke only of 
the kingdom of heaven, and what he must do 
to make a successful inroad and gain an eternal 
inheritance in that blessed country. 

He was equally indefatigable in preparing 
for his spiritual as for his mortal campaign. 
Instead, however, of mailed warriors tramping 
through his courts, and the shrill neigh of 
steed or clang of trumpet echoing among their 
walls, there were seen holy priests and bare- 



jfernan <3on3ale3 237 



foot monks passing to and fro, and the halls 
resounded with the sacred melody of litany 
and psalm. So pleased was Heaven with the 
good works of this pious cavalier, and espe- 
cially with rich donations to churches and 
monasteries which he made under the guid- 
ance of his spiritual counsellors, that we are 
told it was given to him to foresee in vision the 
day and hour when he should pass from this 
weary life and enter the mansions of eternal 
rest. 

Knowing that the time approached, he pre- 
pared for his end like a good Christian. He 
wrote to the kings of L,eon and Navarre in 
terms of great humility, craving their pardon 
for all past injuries and offenses, and entreat- 
ing them, for the good of Christendom, to live 
in peace and amity, and make common cause 
for the defense of the faith. 

Ten days before the time which Heaven had 
appointed for his death he sent for the abbot 
of the chapel and convent of Arlanza, and 
bending his aged knees before him, confessed 
all his sins. This done, as in former times he 
had shown great state and ceremony in his 
worldly pageants, so now he arranged his last 
cavalgada to the grave. He prayed the abbot 
to return to his monastery and have his sepul- 
chre prepared for his reception, and that the 



238 Spantsb fl>apers 



abbots of St. Sebastian and Silos and Quirce, 
with a train of holy friars, might come at the 
appointed day for his body ; that thus, as he 
commended his soul to Heaven through the 
hands of his confessor, he might, through the 
hands of these pious men, resign his body to 
the earth. 

When the abbot had departed, the count de- 
sired to be left alone ; and clothing himself in 
a coarse friar's garb, he remained in fervent 
prayer for the forgiveness of his sins. As he 
had been a valiant captain all his life against 
the enemies of the faith, so was he in death 
against the enemies of the soul. He died in 
the full command of all his faculties, making 
no groans nor contortions, but rendering up 
his spirit with the calmness of an heroic 
cavalier. 

We are told that when he died voices were 
heard from heaven in testimony of his sanctity, 
while the tears and lamentations of all Spain 
proved how much he was valued and beloved 
on earth. His remains were conveyed, accord- 
ing to his request, to the monastery of St. Pedro 
de Arlanza by a procession of holy friars with 
solemn chant and dirge. In the church of that 
convent they still repose ; and two paintings 
are to be seen in the convent, — one represent- 
ing the count valiantly fighting with the 



aFewan <3ott3ale3 239 



Moors, the other conversing with St. Pelayo 
and St. Millan, as they appeared to him in 
vision before the battle of Hazinas. 

The cross which he used as his standard is 
still treasured up in the sacristy of the convent. 
It is of massive silver, two ells in length, with 
our Saviour sculptured upon it, and above the 
head, in Gothic letters, I. N. R. I. Below is 
Adam awaking from the grave, with the words 
of St. Paul : " Awake, thou who sleepest, and 
arise from the tomb, for Christ shall give thee 
life." 

This holy cross still has the form at the 
lower end by which the standard-bearer rested 
it in the pommel of his saddle. 

" Inestimable," adds Fray Antonio Agapida, 
" are the relics and remains of saints and 
sainted warriors." In after times, when Fer- 
nando the Third, surnamed the Saint, went to 
the conquest of Seville, he took with him a 
bone of this thrice-blessed and utterly re- 
nowned cavalier, together with his sword and 
pennon, hoping through their efficacy to suc- 
ceed in his enterprise, — nor was he disap- 
pointed ; but what is marvellous to hear, but 
which we have on the authority of the good 
Bishop Sandoval, on the day on which King 
Fernando the Saint entered Seville in triumph, 
great blows were heard to resound within the 



240 



Spanisb fl>apers 



sepulchre of the count at Arlanza, as if veri- 
tably his bones which remained behind exulted 
in the victory gained by those which had been 
carried to the wars. Thus were marvellously 
fulfilled the words of the holy psalm, — " Ex- 
altabant ossa humilitata.''* 

Here ends the chronicle of the most valorous 
and renowned Don Fernan Gonzalez, Count of 
Castile. Laus Deo. 

* Sandoval, p. 334. 




CHRONICLE OF FERNANDO THE 
SAINT. 



16 241 




CHRONICLE OF FERNANDO THE 
SAINT. 



Cbapter H. 

The Parentage of Fernando — Queen Berenguela— The 
Ivaras — Don Alvar Conceals the Death of King 
Henry — Mission of Queen Berenguela to Alfonso 
IX. — She Renounces the Crown of Castile in Favor 
of her son Fernando. 

FERNANDO III., surnamed the Saint, 
was the son of Alfonso III. King of 
I,eon, and of Berenguela, a princess of 
Castile ; but there were some particu- 
lars concerning his parentage which it is nec- 
essary clearly to state before entering upon his 
personal history. 

Alfonso III. of I^eon, and Alfonso IX. King 
of Castile, were cousins, but there were dissen- 
sions between them. The King of Iyeon, to 
strengthen himself, married his cousin, the 

243 



244 Spanisb ipapers 



Princess Theresa, daughter of his uncle, the 
King of Portugal. By her he had two daugh- 
ters. The marriage was annulled by Pope 
Celestine III. on account of their consanguin- 
ity, and, on their making resistance, they were 
excommunicated and the kingdom laid under 
an interdict. This produced an unwilling 
separation in 1195. Alfonso III. did not long 
remain single. Fresh dissensions having 
broken out between him and his cousin Al- 
fonso IX. of Castile, they were amicably 
adjusted by his marrying the Princess Beren- 
guela, daughter of that monarch. This sec- 
ond marriage, which took place about three 
years after the divorce, came likewise under 
the ban of the Church, and for the same rea- 
son, the near propinquity of the parties. 
Again the commands of the Pope were re- 
sisted, and again the refractory parties were 
excommunicated and the kingdom laid under 
an interdict. 

The unfortunate King of Leon was the more 
unwilling to give up the present marriage, 
as the Queen Berenguela had made him the 
happy father of several children, one of whom 
he hoped might one day inherit the two 
crowns of Leon and Castile. 

The intercession and entreaties of the bishops 
of Castile so far mollified the rigor of the Pope, 



ffernanfco tbe Saint 245 



that a compromise was made ; the legiti- 
macy of the children by the present marriage 
was not to be affected by the divorce of the 
parents, and Fernando, the eldest, the subject 
of the present chronicle, was recognized as 
successor to his father to the throne of I^eon. 
The divorced Queen Berenguela left Fernando 
in I>on, and returned in 1204 to Castile, to 
the court of her father, Alfonso III. Here 
she remained until the death of her father in 
12 14, who was succeeded by his son Enrique, 
or Henry I. The latter being only in his 
eleventh year, his sister, the ex-Queen Beren- 
guela, was declared regent. She well merited 
the trust, for she was a woman of great pru- 
dence and wisdom, and a resolute and mag- 
nanimous spirit. 

At this time the house of L,ara had risen to 
great power. There were three brothers of 
that turbulent and haughty race, Don Alvar 
Nunez, Don Fernan Nunez, and Don Gonzalo 
Nunez. The I^aras had caused great trouble 
in the kingdom during the minority of Prince 
Henry's father, by arrogating to themselves 
the regency ; and they attempted, in like man- 
ner, to get the guardianship of the son, de- 
claring it an office too important and difficult 
to be intrusted to a woman. Having a power- 
ful and unprincipled party among the nobles, 



246 Spanisb ipapere 



and using great bribery among persons in 
whom Berenguela confided, they carried their 
point ; and the virtuous Berenguela, to pre- 
vent civil commotions, resigned the regency 
into the hands of Don Alvar Nunez de I^ara, 
the head of that ambitious house. First, how- 
ever, she made him kneel and swear that he 
would conduct himself toward the youthful 
King Enrique as a thorough friend and a loyal 
vassal, guarding his person from all harm ; 
that he would respect the property of individ- 
uals, and undertake nothing of importance 
without the counsel and consent of Queen Be- 
renguela. Furthermore, that he would guard 
and respect the hereditary possessions of Queen 
Berenguela, left to her by her father, and 
would always serve her as his sovereign, the 
daughter of his deceased king. All this Don 
Alvar Nunez solemnly swore upon the sacred 
evangelists and the holy cross. 

No sooner, however, had he got the young 
king in his power, than he showed the ambi- 
tion, rapacity, and arrogance of his nature. 
He prevailed upon the young king to make 
him a count ; he induced him to hold cortes 
without the presence of Queen Berenguela ; 
issuing edicts in the king's name, he banished 
refractory nobles, giving their offices and lands 
to his brothers ; he levied exactions on rich 



ffernan^o tbe Saint 247 



and poor, and, what is still more flagrant, he 
extended these exactions to the Church. In 
vain did Queen Berenguela remonstrate ; in 
vain did the Dean of Toledo thunder forth an 
excommunication ; he scoffed at them both, 
for in the king's name he persuaded himself 
he had a tower of strength. He even sent a 
letter to Queen Berenguela in the name of the 
young king, demanding of her the castles, 
towns, and ports which had been left to her 
by her father. The queen was deeply grieved 
at this letter, and sent a reply to the king that, 
when she saw him face to face, she would do 
with those possessions whatever he should 
command, as her brother and sovereign. 

On receiving this message, the young king 
was shocked and distressed that such a de- 
mand should have been made in his name ; 
but he was young and inexperienced, and 
could not openly contend w T ith a man of Don 
Alvar's overbearing character. He wrote se- 
cretly to the queen, however, assuring her 
that the demand had been made without his 
knowledge, and saying how gladly he would 
come to her if he could, and be relieved from 
the thraldom of Don Alvar. 

In this way the unfortunate prince was made 
an instrument in the hands of this haughty 
and arrogant nobleman of inflicting all kinds 



248 Spani5b papers 



of wrongs and injuries upon his subjects. Don 
Alvar constantly kept him with him, carrying 
him from place to place of his dominions, 
wherever his presence was necessary to effect 
some new measure of tyranny. He even en- 
deavored to negotiate a marriage between the 
young king and some neighboring princess, in 
order to retain an influence over him, but in 
this he was unsuccessful. 

For three years had he maintained this in- 
iquitous sway, until one day in 121 7, when the 
young king was with him at Palencia, and was 
playing with some youthful companions in the 
court-yard of the episcopal palace, a tile, either 
falling from the roof of a tower, or sportively 
thrown by one of his companions, struck him in 
the head, and inflicted a wound of which he 
presently died. 

This was a fatal blow to the power of Don 
Alvar. To secure himself from any sudden 
revulsion in the popular mind, he determined 
to conceal the death of the king as long as pos- 
sible, and gave out that he had retired to the 
fortress of Tariego, whither he had the body 
conveyed, as if still living. He continued to 
issue despatches from time to time in the name 
of the king, and made various excuses for his 
non-appearance in public. 

Queen Berenguela soon learned the truth. 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 249 



According to the laws of Castile she was heiress 
to the crown, but she resolved to transfer it to 
her son Fernando, who, being likewise ac- 
knowledged successor to the crown of I,eon, 
would unite the two kingdoms under his rule. 
To effect her purpose she availed herself of the 
cunning of her enemy, kept secret her knowl- 
edge of the death of her brother, and sent two 
of her confidential cavaliers, Don IyOpe Diaz de 
Haro, Sefior of Biscay, and Don Gonzalo Ruiz 
Giron, and Don Alonzo Tellez de Meneses, to 
her late husband, Alfonso IX., King of Leon, 
who, with her son Fernando, was then at Toro, 
entreating him to send the latter to her to pro- 
tect her from the tyranny of Don Alvar. The 
prudent mother, however, forebore to let King 
Alfonso know cf her brother's death, lest it 
awaken in him ambitious thoughts about the 
Castilian crown. 

This mission being sent, she departed with 
the cavaliers of her party for Palencia. The 
death of the King Enrique being noised about, 
she was honored as Queen of Castile, and Don 
Tello, the bishop, came forth in procession 
to receive her. The next day she proceeded 
to the castle of Duenas, and, on its making 
some show of resistance, took it by force. 

The cavaliers who were with the queen en- 
deavored to effect a reconciliation between her 



250 Spanish papers 



and Don Alvar, seeing the latter had powerful 
connections, and through his partisans and re- 
tainers held possession of the principal towns 
and fortresses; that haughty nobleman, how- 
ever, would listen to no proposals unless the 
Prince Fernando was given into his guardian- 
ship, as had been the Prince Enrique. 

In the meantime the request of Queen Beren- 
guela had been granted by her late husband, 
the King of Leon, and her son Fernando, has- 
tened to meet her. The meeting took place at 
the castle of Otiella, and happy was the anxious 
mother once more to embrace her son. At her 
command the cavaliers in her train elevated 
him on the trunk of an elm-tree for a throne, 
and hailed him king with great acclamations. 

They now proceeded to Valladolid, which at 
that time was a great and wealthy town. 
Here the nobility and chivalry of Estremadura 
and other parts hastened to pay homage to the 
queen. A stage was erected in the market- 
place, where the assembled states acknowledged 
her for queen and swore fealty to her. She im- 
mediately, in presence of her nobles, prelates, 
and people, renounced the crown in favor of 
her son. The air rang with the shouts of 
"Long live Fernando, King of Castile ! " 
The bishops and clergy then conducted the 
king in state to the church. This was on the 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 



251 



31st of August, 1 217, and about three months 
from the death of King Enrique. 

Fernando was at this time about eighteen 
years of age, an accomplished cavalier, having 
been instructed in everything befitting a prince 
and a warrior. 





Cbapter H1T. 

King Alfonso of Leon Ravages Castile — Captivity of 
Don Alvar — Death of the Laras. 

KING ALFONSO of I^eon was exceed- 
ingly exasperated at the furtive man- 
ner in which his son Fernando had left 
him, without informing him of King 
Henry's death. He considered, and perhaps 
with reason, the transfer of the crown of Castile 
by Berenguela to her son, as a manoeuvre to 
evade any rights or claims which he, King 
Alfonso, might have over her, notwithstand- 
ing their divorce ; and he believed that both 
mother and son had conspired to deceive and 
outwit him ; and, what was especially pro- 
voking, they had succeeded. It was natural 
for King Alfonso to have become by this time 
exceedingly irritable and sensitive ; he had 
been repeatedly thwarted in his dearest con- 
cerns ; excommunicated out of two wives by 
the Pope, and now, as he conceived, cajoled 
out of a kingdom. 

252 



jFernanfco tbe Saint 253 



In his wrath he flew to arms, — a prompt and 
customary recourse of kings in those days 
when they had no will to consult but their 
own ; and notwithstanding the earnest expos- 
tulations and entreaties of holy men, he entered 
Castile with an army, ravaging the legitimate 
inheritance of his son, as if it had been the 
territory of an enemy. He was seconded in 
his outrages by Count Alvar Nunez de Lara 
and his two bellicose brothers, who hoped still 
to retain power by rallying under his standard. 

There were at this time full two thousand 
cavaliers with the youthful king, resolute men, 
well armed and well appointed, and they urged 
him to lead them against the King of Leon. 
Queen Berenguela, however, interposed and 
declared her son should never be guilty of the 
impiety of taking up arms against his father. 
By her advice King Fernando sent an embassy 
to his father, expostulating with him, and 
telling him that he ought to be thankful to 
God that Castile was in the hands of a son 
disposed at all times to honor and defend him, 
instead of a stranger who might prove a dan- 
gerous foe. 

King Alfonso, however, was not so to be 
appeased. By the ambassadors he sent pro- 
posals to Queen Berenguela that they reenter 
into wedlock, for which he would procure a 



254 Spantsb papers 



dispensation from the Pope ; they would then 
be jointly sovereigns of both Castile and I^eon, 
and the Prince Fernando, their son, should 
inherit both crowns. But the virtuous Beren- 
guela recoiled from this proposal of a second 
nuptials. "God forbid/ ' replied she, "that I 
should return to a sinful marriage ; and as to 
the crown of Castile, it now belongs to my 
son, to whom I have given it with the sanc- 
tion of God and the good men of this realm.' ' 

King Alfonso was more enraged than ever 
by this reply, and, being incited and aided by 
Count Alvar and his faction, he resumed his 
ravages, laying waste the country and burn- 
ing the villages. He would have attacked 
Duenas, but found that place strongly garri- 
soned by Diego Lopez de Haro and Ruy Diaz 
de los Cameros ; he next marched upon Bur- 
gos, but that place was equally well garrisoned 
by Lope Diez de Faro and other stout Cas- 
tilian cavaliers ; so perceiving his son to be 
more firmly seated upon the throne than he 
had imagined, and that all his own menaces 
and ravages were unavailing, he returned 
deeply chagrined to his kingdom. 

King Fernando, in obedience to the dictates 
of his mother as well as of his own heart, 
abstained from any acts of retaliation on his 
father ; but he turned his arms against Munon 



jfernan&o the Saint 255 



and L,erma and I,ara, and other places which 
either belonged to, or held out for, Count Al- 
var, and, having subdued them, proceeded to 
Burgos, the capital of his kingdom, where he 
was received by the bishop and clergy with 
great solemnity, and whither the nobles and 
chivalry from all parts of Castile hastened to 
rally round his throne. The turbulent Count 
Alvar Nunez de I^ara and his brothers retain- 
ing other fortresses too strong to be easily 
taken, refused all allegiance, and made ravag- 
ing excursions over the country. The prudent 
and provident Berenguela, therefore, while at 
Burgos, seeing that the troubles and conten- 
tions of the kingdom would cause great ex- 
pense and prevent much revenue, gathered to- 
gether all her jewels of gold and silver and 
precious stones, and all her plate and rich silks, 
and other precious things, and caused them to 
be sold, and gave the money to her son to 
defray the cost of these civil wars. 

King Fernando and his mother departed 
shortly afterwards for Palencia ; on their way 
they had to pass by Herrera, which at that 
time was the stronghold of Count Alvar. 
When the king came in sight, Count Fernan 
Nunez, with his battalions, was on the banks 
of the river, but drew within the walls. As 
the king had to pass close by with his retinue, 



256 Spanisb papers 



lie ordered his troops to be put into good order, 
and gave it in charge to Alonzo Tellez and 
Suer Tellez and Alvar Ruyz to protect the 
flanks. 

As the royal troops drew near, Count Alvar, 
leaving his people in the town, sallied forth 
with a few cavaliers to regard the army as it 
passed. Affecting great contempt for the youth- 
ful king and his cavaliers, he stood drawn up 
on a rising ground with his attendants, look- 
ing down upon the troops with scornful aspect, 
and rejecting all advice to retire into the town. 

As the king and his immediate escort came 
nigh, their attention was attracted to this little 
body of proud w T arriors drawn up upon a bank 
and regarding them so loftily ; and Alonzo 
Tellez and Suer Tellez looking more closely, 
recognized Don Alvar, and putting spurs to 
their horses, dashed up the bank, followed by 
several cavaliers. Don Alvar repented of his 
vain confidence too late, and seeing great 
numbers urging towards him, turned his reins 
and retreated toward the town. Still his 
stomach was too high for absolute flight, and 
the others, who spurred after him at full speed, 
overtook him. Throwing himself from his 
horse, he covered himself with his shield and 
prepared for defense. Alonzo Tellez, however, 
called to his men not to kill the count, but to 



ilfernanDo tbe Saint 257 



take him prisoner. He was accordingly cap- 
tured, with several of his followers, and borne 
off to the king and queen. The count had 
everything to apprehend from their vengeance 
for his misdeeds. They used no personal 
harshness, however, but demanded from him 
that he should surrender all the castles and 
strong places held by the retainers and parti- 
sans of his brothers and himself, that he 
should furnish one hundred horsemen to aid 
in their recovery, and should remain a prisoner 
until those places were all in the possession of 
the crown. 

Captivity broke the haughty spirit of Don 
Alvar. He agreed to those conditions, and 
until they should be fulfilled was consigned to 
the charge of Gonsalvo Ruyz Giron, and con- 
fined in the castle of Valladolid. The places 
were delivered up in the course of a few months, 
and thus King Fernando became strongly 
possessed of his kingdom. 

Stripped of power, state, and possessions, 
Count Alvar and his brothers, after an ineffec- 
tual attempt to rouse the King of Leon to 
another campaign against his son, became 
savage and desperate, and made predatory 
excursions, pillaging the country, until Count 
Alvar fell mortally ill of hydropsy. Struck 

with remorse and melancholy, he repaired to 
17 



258 Spaniab papers 



Toro and entered the chivalrous order of San- 
tiago, that he might gain the indulgences 
granted by the Pope to those who die in that 
order, and hoping, says an ancient chronicler, 
to oblige God, as it were, by that religious 
ceremony, to pardon his sins.* His illness 
endured seven months, and he was reduced to 
such poverty that at his death there was not 
money enough left by him to convey his body 
to Ucles, where he had requested to be buried, 
nor to pay for tapers for his funeral. When 
Queen Berenguela heard this, she ordered that 
the funeral should be honorably performed at 
her own expense, and sent a cloth of gold to 
cover the bier.f 

The brother of Count Alvar, Don Fernando, 
abandoned his country in despair and went to 
Marocco, where he was well received by the 
miramamolin, and had lands and revenues 
assigned to him. He became a great favorite 
among the Moors, to whom he used to recount 
his deeds in the civil wars of Castile. At length 
he fell dangerously ill, and caused himself to 
be taken to a suburb inhabited by Christians. 
There happened to be there at that time one 
Don Gonsalvo, a knight of the order of the 

* Cronica Gotica ) por Don Alonzo Nunez de Castro, 
p. 17. 
f Cronica General de Espana^ pt. 3, p. 370. 



jfernan&o tbe Saint 259 



Hospital of St. John de Acre, and who had 
been in the service of Pope Innocent III. Don 
Fernando, finding his end approaching, en- 
treated of the knight his religious habit, that 
he might die in it. His request was granted, 
and thus Count Fernando died in the habit of 
a Knight Hospital of St. John de Acre, in 
Elbora, a suburb of Marocco. His body was 
afterwards brought to Spain, and interred in 
a town on the banks of the Pisuerga, in which 
repose likewise the remains of his wife and 
children. 

The Count Gonsalvo Nunez de I,ara, the 
third of these brothers, also took refuge among 
the Moors. He was seized with violent disease 
in the city of Baeza, where he died. His body 
was conveyed to Campos a Zalmos, which 
appertained to the Friars of the Temple, where 
the holy fraternity gave it the rites of sepulture 
with all due honor. Such was the end of these 
three brothers of the once proud and powerful 
house of Lara, whose disloyal deeds had 
harassed their country and brought ruin upon 
themselves. 




Cbapter 1F1T1L 

Marriage of King Fernando — Campaign against the 
Moors — Aben Mohamed, King of Baeza, Declares 
himself the Vassal of King Fernando — They March 
to Jaen — Burning of the Tower — Fernando Com- 
mences the Building of the Cathedral at Toledo. 

KING FERNANDO, aided by the sage 
counsels of his mother, reigned for 
some time in peace and quietness, ad- 
ministering his affairs with equity and 
justice. The good Queen Berenguela now 
began to cast about her eyes in search of a 
suitable alliance for her son, and had many 
consultations with the Bishop Maurice of Bur- 
gos, and other ghostly counsellors, thereupon. 
They at length agreed upon the Princess Bea- 
trix, daughter of the late Philip, Emperor of 
Germany, and the Bishop Maurice and Padre 
Fray Pedro de Arlanza were sent as envoys to 
the Emperor Frederick II., cousin of the prin- 
cess, to negotiate the terms. An arrangement 
was happily effected, and the princess set out 

260 



jfernan&o tbe Saint 261 



for Spain. In passing through France she 
was courteously entertained at Paris by King 
Philip, who made her rich presents. On the 
borders of Castile she was met at Vittoria by 
the Queen Berenguela, with a great train of 
prelates, monks, and masters of the religious 
orders, and of abbesses and nuns, together 
with a glorious train of chivalry. In this state 
she was conducted to Burgos, where the king 
and all his court came forth to receive her, 
and their nuptials were celebrated with great 
pomp and rejoicing. 

King Fernando lived happily with his fair 
Queen Beatrix, and his kingdom remained in 
peace ; but by degrees he became impatient of 
quiet, and anxious to make war upon the 
Moors. Perhaps he felt called upon to make 
some signal essay in arms at present, having, 
the day before his nuptials, been armed a 
knight in the monastery of I^as Huelgos, and 
in those iron days knighthood was not a matter 
of mere parade and ceremony, but called for 
acts of valor and proofs of stern endurance. 

The discreet Berenguela endeavored to dis- 
suade her son from taking the field, consider- 
ing him not of sufficient age. In all things 
else he was ever obedient to her counsels, and 
even to her inclinations, but it was in vain that 
she endeavored to persuade him from making 



262 Spanisb papers 



war upon the infidels. " God," would he say, 
' * had put into his hands not merely a sceptre 
to govern, but a sword to avenge his country. " 

It was fortunate for the good cause, more- 
over, add the Spanish chroniclers, that while 
the queen-mother was endeavoring to throw a 
damper on the kindling fire of her son, a worthy 
prelate was at hand to stir it up into a blaze. 
This was the illustrious historian Rodrigo, 
Archbishop of Toledo, who now preached a 
crusade against the Moors, promising like in- 
dulgences with those granted to the warriors 
for the Holy Sepulchre. The consequence was 
a great assemblage of troops from all parts at 
Toledo. 

King Fernando was prevented for a time from 
taking the field in person, but sent in advance 
Don Lope Diaz de Haro and Ruy Gonsalvo de 
Giron and Alonzo Tellez de Meneses, with five 
hundred cavaliers, well armed and mounted. 
The very sight of them effected a conquest 
over Aben Mohamed, the Moorish King of 
Baeza, insomuch that he sent an embassy to 
King Fernando, declaring himself his vassal. 

When King Fernando afterwards took the 
field, he was joined by this Moorish ally at the 
Navas or plains of Tolosa ; who was in com- 
pany with him when the king marched to Jaen, 
to the foot of a tower, and set fire to it, where- 



3f etnanfco tbe Saint 263 



upon those Moors who remained in the tower 
were burned to death, and those who leaped 
from the walls were received on the points of 
lances. 

Notwithstanding the burnt-offering of this 
tower, Heaven did not smile upon the attempt 
of King Fernando to reduce the city of Jaen. 
He was obliged to abandon the siege, but con- 
soled himself by laying waste the country. 
He was more successful elsewhere. He carried 
the strong town of Priego by assault, and gave 
the garrison their lives on condition of yielding 
up all their property, and paying, moreover, 
eighty thousand maravedis of silver. For the 
payment of this sum they were obliged to give 
as hostages fifty-five damsels of great beauty, 
and fifty cavaliers of rank, besides nine hun- 
dred of the common people. The king divided 
his hostages among his bravest cavaliers and 
the religious orders ; but his vassal, the Moor- 
ish King of Baeza, obtained the charge of the 
Moorish damsels. 

The king then attacked L,oxa, and his men 
scaled the walls and burnt the gates, and made 
themselves masters of the place. He then led 
his army into the Vega of Granada, the inhabi- 
tants of which submitted to become his vassals, 
and gave up all the Christian captives in that 
city, amounting to thirteen hundred. 



264 Spanisb papers 



Aben Mohamed, king of Baeza, then deliv- 
ered to King Fernando the towers of Martos 
and Andujar, and the king gave them to Don 
Alvar Perez de Castro and placed with him 
Don Gonzalo Ybafiez, Master of Calatrava, and 
Tello Alonzo Meneses, son of Don Alonzo 
Tellez, and other stout cavaliers, fitted to main- 
tain frontier posts. These arrangements being 
made, and having ransacked every mountain 
and valley, and taken many other places not 
herein specified, King Fernando returned in 
triumph to Toledo, where he was joyfully re- 
ceived by his mother Berenguela and his wife 
Beatrix. 

Clerical historians do not fail to record with 
infinite satisfaction a signal instance of the de- 
vout and zealous spirit which King Fernando 
had derived from his constant communion with 
the reverend fathers of the Church. As the 
king was one day walking with his ghostly ad- 
viser the archbishop, in the principal church 
of Toledo, which was built in the Moresco 
fashion, having been a mosque of the infidels, 
it occurred, or more probably was suggested to 
him, that, since God had aided him to increase 
his kingdom, and had given him such victories 
over the enemies of his holy faith, it became 
him to rebuild his holy temple, which was an- 
cient and falling to decay, and to adorn it richly 



jfernanfco tbe Saint 



265 



with the spoils taken from the Moors. The 
thought was promptly carried into effect. The 
king and the archbishop laid the first stone 
with great solemnity, and in the fullness of 
time accomplished that mighty cathedral of 
Toledo, which remains the wonder and admira- 
tion of after-ages. 





Cbapter W. 

Assassination of Aben Mohamed — His Head Carried 
as a Present to Abullale, the Moorish King of Seville 
— Advance of the Christians into Andalusia — Abul- 
lale Purchases a Truce. 

THK worthy Fray Antonio Agapida records 
various other victories and achieve- 
ments of King Fernando in a subse- 
quent campaign against the Moors of 
Andalusia ; in the course of which his camp 
was abundantly supplied with grain by his 
vassal Aben Mohamed, the Moorish King of 
Baeza. The assistance rendered by that Mos- 
lem monarch to the Christian forces in their 
battles against those of his own race and his 
own faith, did not meet with the reward it 
merited. * ' Doubtless, ' ' says Antonio Aga- 
pida, ' ' because he halted half way in the right 
path, and did not turn thorough renegado.' , 
It appears that his friendship for the Christians 
gave great disgust to his subjects, and some of 

266 



JFetnan&o tbe Saint 267 



them rose upon him, while he was sojourning 
in the city of Cordova, and sought to destroy 
him. Aben Mohamed fled by a gate leading 
to the gardens, to take shelter in the tower of 
Almodovar ; but the assassins overtook him, 
and slew him on a hill near the tower. They 
then cut off his head and carried it as a present 
to Abullale, the Moorish king of Seville, ex- 
pecting to be munificently rewarded ; but that 
monarch gave command that their heads should 
be struck off and their bodies thrown to the 
dogs, as traitors to their liege lords.* 

King Fernando was grieved when he heard 
of the assassination of his vassal, and feared 
the death of Aben Mohamed might lead to a 
rising of the Moors. He sent notice to Andu- 
jar, to Don Alvar Perez de Castro and Alonzo 
Tellez de Meneses, to be on their guard ; but 
the Moors, fearing punishment for some rebel- 
lious movements, abandoned the town, and it 
fell into the hands of the king. The Moors of 
Martos did the like. The Alcazar of Baeza 
yielded also to the king, who placed in it Don 
Lope Diaz de Haro with five hundred men. 

Abullale, the Moorish sovereign of Seville, 
was alarmed at seeing the advances which the 
Christians were making in Andalusia ; and at- 
tempted to wrest from their hands these newly 
* Cron. Gen. de Espana, pt. 4, fol. 373. 



268 Spanisb papers 



acquired places. He marched upon Martos, 
which was not strongly walled. The Countess 
Dona Yrenia, wife to Don Alvar Perez de Cas- 
tro, was in this place, and her husband w 7 as 
absent. Don Tello Alonzo, with a Spanish 
force, hastened to her assistance. Finding the 
town closely invested, he formed his men into 
a troop, and endeavored to cut his way through 
the enemy. A rude conflict ensued, the cava- 
liers fought their way forward, and Christian 
and Moor arrived pell-mell at the gate of the 
town. Here the press was excessive. Fernan 
Gomez de Pudiello, a stout cavalier, who bore 
the pennon of Don Tello Alonzo, was slain, 
and the same fate would have befallen Don 
Tello himself, but that a company of esquires 
sallied from the town to his rescue. 

King Abullale now encircled the town, and 
got possession of the Pefia, or rock, which 
commands it, killing two hundred Christians 
w r ho defended it. 

Provisions began to fail the besieged, and 
they were reduced to slay their horses for food, 
and even to eat the hides. Don Gonsalvo 
Ybafiez, master of Calatrava, who was in Baeza, 
hearing of the extremity of the place, came 
suddenly with seventy men and effected an en- 
trance. The augmentation of the garrison 
only served to increase the famine, without 



jfernanfco tbe Saint 269 



being sufficient in force to raise the siege. At 
length word was brought to Don Alvar Perez 
de Castro, who was with the king at Guada- 
laxara, of the imminent danger to which his 
wife was exposed. He instantly set off for 
her relief, accompanied by several cavaliers 
of note, and a strong force. They succeeded 
in getting into Martos, recovered the Pena, 
or rock, and made such vigorous defense that 
Abullale abandoned the siege in despair. In 
the following year King Fernando led his host 
to take revenge upon this Moorish King of 
Seville ; but the latter purchased a truce for 
one year with three hundred maravedis of 
silver.* 

* Cron. Gen. de Espana, pt. 4, c. ii. 








Cbapter ID. 

Aben Hud — Abullale Purchases Another Year's Truce 
— Fernando Hears of the Death of his Father, the 
King of I/eon, while Pressing the Siege of Jaen — 
He Becomes Sovereign of the Two Kingdoms of 
Leon and Castile. 

ABOUT this time a valiant sheik, named 
Aben Abdallar Mohammed ben Hud, 
but commonly called Aben Hud, was 
effecting a great revolution in Moorish 
affairs. He was of the lineage of Aben Alfange, 
and bitterly opposed to the sect of Almohades, 
who for a long time had exercised a tyrannical 
sway. Stirring up the Moors of Murcia to rise 
upon their oppressors, he put himself at their 
head, massacred all the Almohades that fell 
into his hands, and made himself sheik or 
king of that region. He purified the mosques 
with water, after the manner in which Chris- 
tians purify their churches, as though they had 
been defiled by the Almohades. Aben Hud 

270 



ffernan&o tbe Saint 271 



acquired a name among those of his religion 
for justice and good faith as well as valor ; 
and after some opposition, gained sway over 
all Andalusia. This brought him in collision 
with King Fernando. . . . 

U^° (Something is wanting here.)* 
laying waste fields of grain. The Moorish 
sovereign of Seville purchased another year's 
truce of him for three hundred thousand mara- 
vedis of silver. Aben Hud, on the other hand, 
collected a great force and marched to oppose 
him, but did not dare to give him battle. He 
went, therefore, upon Merida, and fought with 
King Alfonso of I^eon, father of King Fer- 
nando, where, however, he met with complete 
discomfiture. 

* The hiatus, here noted by the author, has evi- 
dently arisen from the loss of a leaf of his manuscript. 
The printed line which precedes the parenthesis con- 
cludes page 32 of the manuscript ; the line which 
follows it begins page 34. The intermediate page is 
wanting. I presume the author did not become con- 
scious of his loss until he had resorted to his manu- 
script for revision, and that he could not depend upon 
his memory to supply what was wanting without a 
fresh resort to authorities not at hand. Hence a post- 
ponement and ultimate omission. The missing leaf 
would scarce have filled half a page of print, and, it 
would seem from the context, must have related the 
invasion of Andalusia by Fernando and the ravages 
committed bv his armies, — Kd. 



272 Spanisb papers 



On the following year King Fernando re- 
peated his invasion of Andalusia, and was 
pressing the siege of the city of Jaen, which 
he assailed by means of engines discharging 
stones, when a courier arrived in all speed 
from his mother, informing him that his 
father, Alfonso, was dead, and urging him to 
proceed instantly to L,eon, to enforce his pre- 
tensions to the crown. King Fernando ac- 
cordingly raised the siege of Jaen, sending his 
engines to Martos, and repaired to Castile, to 
consult with his mother, who was his counsellor 
on all occasions. 

It appeared that in his last will King Alfonso 
had named his two daughters joint heirs to the 
crown. Some of the L,eonese and Gallegos were 
disposed to place the Prince Alonzo, brother to 
King Fernando, on the throne ; but he had 
listened to the commands of his mother, and 
had resisted all suggestions of the kind ; the 
larger part of the kingdom, including the most 
important cities, had declared for Fernando. 

Accompanied by his mother, King Fernando 
proceeded instantly into the kingdom of Leon 
with a powerful force. Wherever they went 
the cities threw open their gates to them. The 
princesses Dona Sancha and Dona Dulce, with 
their mother, Theresa, would have assembled 
a force to oppose them, but the prelates were 



ffetnanOo tbe Saint 273 



all in favor of King Fernando. On his ap- 
proach to Leon, the bishops and clergy and all 
the principal inhabitants came forth to receive 
him, and conducted him to the cathedral, where 
he received their homage, and was proclaimed 
king, with the Te Deums of the choir and the 
shouts of the people. 

Dona Theresa, who, with her daughters, 
was in Galicia, finding the kingdom thus dis- 
posed of, sent to demand provision for herself 
and the two princesses, who, in fact, were step- 
sisters of King Fernando. Queen Berenguela, 
though she had some reason not to feel kindly 
disposed towards Dona Theresa, who she 
might think had been exercising a secret in- 
fluence over her late husband, yet suppressed 
all such feelings, and undertook to repair in 
person to Galicia, and negotiate this singular 
family question. She had an interview with 
Queen Theresa at Valencia de Merlio in Gali- 
cia, and arranged a noble dower for her, and 
an annual revenue to each of her daughters of 
thirty thousand maravedis of gold. The king 
then had a meeting with his sisters at Bene- 
vente, where they resigned all pretensions to 
the throne. All the fortified places which held 
for them were given up, and thus Fernando 
became undisputed sovereign of the two king- 
doms of Castile and Iyeon. 
18 




Chapter OT. 

Expedition of the Prince Alonzo against the Moors — 
Encamps on the Banks of the Guadalete — Aben 
Hud Marches Out from Xerez and Gives Battle- 
Prowess of Garcia Perez de Vargas — Flight and 
Pursuit of the Moors — Miracle of the Blessed San- 
tiago. 



KING FERNANDO III. having, through 
the sage counsel and judicious manage- 
ment of his mother, made this amica- 
ble arrangement with his step-sisters, 
by which he gained possession of their inheri- 
tance, now found his territories to extend from 
the Bay of Biscay to the vicinity of the Guad- 
alquivir, and from the bonders of Portugal to 
those of Aragon and Valencia ; and in addi- 
tion to his titles of King of Castile and lyeon, 
called himself King of Spain by seigniorial 
right. Being at peace with all his Christian 
neighbors, he now prepared to carry on with 
more zeal and vigor than ever his holy wars 

274 



aFernan&o tbe Saint 275 



against the infidels. While making a progress, 
however, through his dominions, administer- 
ing justice, he sent his brother, the Prince 
Alonzo, to make an expedition into the coun- 
try of the Moors, and to attack the newly-risen 
power of Aben Hud. 

As the Prince Alonzo was young and of little 
experience, the king sent Don Alvar Perez de 
Castro, the Castilian, with him as captain, he 
being stout of heart, strong of hand, and 
skilled in war. The prince and his captain 
went from Salamanca to Toledo, where they 
recruited their force with a troop of cavalry. 
Thence they proceeded to Andujar, where they 
sent out corredores, or light foraging troops, 
who laid waste the country, plundering and 
destroying and bringing off great booty. 
Thence they directed their ravaging course tow- 
ard Cordova, assaulted and carried Palma, and 
put all its inhabitants to the sword. Follow- 
ing the fertile valley of the Guadalquivir, they 
scoured the vicinity of Seville, and continued 
onward for Xerez, sweeping off cattle and 
sheep from the pastures of Andalusia ; driv- 
ing on long cavalgadas of horses and mules 
laden with spoil ; until the earth shook with 
the tramping of their feet, and their course 
was marked by clouds of dust and the smoke 
of burning villages. 



276 Spanfeb papers 



In this desolating foray they were joined by 
two hundred horse and three hundred foot, 
Moorish allies, or rather vassals, being led by 
the son of Aben Mohamed, the King of Baeza. 

Arrived within sight of Xerez, they pitched 
their tents on the banks of the Guadalete — 
that fatal river, sadly renowned in the annals 
of Spain for the overthrow of Roderick and 
the perdition of the kingdom. 

Here a good watch was set over the cap- 
tured flocks and herds which covered the ad- 
jacent meadows, while the soldiers, fatigued 
with ravage, gave themselves up to repose on 
the banks of the river, or indulged in feasting 
and revelry, or gambled with each other for 
their booty. 

In the meantime Aben Hud, hearing of this 
inroad, summoned all his chivalry of the sea- 
board of Andalusia to meet him in Xerez. 
They hastened to obey his call ; every leader 
spurred for Xerez with his band of vassals. 
Thither came also the King of the Azules, with 
seven hundred horsemen, Moors of Africa, 
light, vigorous, and active ; and the city was 
full of troops. 

The camp of Don Alonzo had a formidable 
appearance at a distance, from the flocks and 
herds which surrounded it, the vast number of 
sumpter mules, and the numerous captives ; 



jFernanfco tbc Saint 277 



but when Aben Hud came to reconnoitre it, he 
found that its aggregate force did not exceed 
three thousand five hundred men — a mere 
handful in comparison to his army, and those 
encumbered with cattle and booty. He an- 
ticipated, therefore, an easy victory. He now 
sallied forth from the city, and took his posi- 
tion in the olive-fields between the Christians 
and the city ; while the African horsemen were 
stationed on each wing, with instructions to 
hem in the Christians on either side, for he 
was only apprehensive of their escaping. It is 
even said that he ordered great quantities of 
cords to be brought from the city, and osier 
bands to be made by the soldiery, wherewith 
to bind the multitude of prisoners about to fall 
into their hands. His whole force he divided 
into seven battalions, each containing from 
fifteen hundred to two thousand cavalry. 
With these he prepared to give battle. 

When the Christians thus saw an over- 
whelming force in front, cavalry hovering on 
either flank, and the deep waters of the Guada- 
lete behind them, they felt the perils of their 
situation. 

In this emergency Alvar Perez de Castro 
showed himself the able captain that he had 
been represented. Though apparently defer- 
ring to the prince in council, he virtually took 



278 Spanfsb papers 



command, riding among the troops lightly 
armed, with truncheon in hand, encouraging 
every one by word and look and fearless de- 
meanor. To give the most formidable appear- 
ance to their little host, he ordered that as 
many as possible of the foot-soldiers should 
mount upon the mules and beasts of burden, 
and form a troop to be kept in reserve. Before 
the battle he conferred the honor of knight- 
hood on Garcia Perez de Vargas, a cavalier 
destined to gain renown for hardy deeds of 
arms. 

When the troops were all ready for the field, 
the prince exhorted them as good Christians 
to confess their sins and obtain absolution. 
There was a goodly number of priests and 
friars with the army, as there generally was 
with all the plundering expeditions of this holy 
war, but there were not enough to confess all 
the army ; those, therefore, who could not have 
a priest or monk for the purpose, confessed to 
each other. 

Among the cavaliers were two noted for their 
valor ; but who, though brothers-in-law, lived 
in mortal feud. One was Diego Perez, vassal 
to Alvar Perez and brother to him who had 
just been armed knight ; the other was Pero 
Miguel, both natives of Toledo. Diego Perez 
was the one who had given cause of offense. 



jfernan&o tbe Saint 279 



He now approached his adversary and asked 
his pardon for that day only ; that, in a time 
of such mortal peril, there might not be enmity 
and malice in their hearts. The priests added 
their exhortations to this request, but Pero 
Miguel sternly refused pardon. When this 
was told to the prince and Don Alvar, they 
likewise entreated Don Miguel to pardon his 
brother-in-law. " I will," replied he, "if he 
will come to my arms and embrace me as a 
brother." But Diego Perez declined the fra- 
ternal embrace, for he saw danger in the eye 
of Pero Miguel, and he knew his savage 
strength and savage nature, and suspected 
that he meant to strangle him. So Pero Mi- 
guel went into battle without pardoning his 
enemy who had implored forgiveness. 

At this time, say the old chroniclers, the 
shouts and yells of the Moorish army, the 
sound of their cymbals, kettle-drums, and 
other instruments of warlike music were so 
great that heaven and earth seemed commin- 
gled and confounded. In regarding the battle 
about to overwhelm him, Alvar Perez saw that 
the only chance was to form the whole army 
into one mass, and by a headlong assault to 
break the centre of the enemy. In this emer- 
gency he sent word to the prince, who was in 
the rear with the reserve and had five hundred 



28o Spanieb papers 



captives in charge, to strike off the heads of 
the captives and join him with the whole re- 
serve. This bloody order was obeyed. The 
prince came to the front, all formed together 
in one dense column, and then, with the war- 
cry, " Santiago ! Santiago ! Castile ! Castile ! " 
charged upon the centre of the enemy. The 
Moors' line was broken by the shock, squadron 
after squadron was thrown into confusion, 
Moors and Christians were intermingled, until 
the field became one scene of desperate, chance- 
medley fighting. Every Christian cavalier 
fought as if the salvation of the field de- 
pended upon his single arm. Garcia Perez de 
Vargas, who had been knighted just before the 
battle, proved himself worthy of the honor. 
He had three horses killed under him, and 
engaged in a desperate combat with the King 
of the Azules, whom at length he struck dead 
from his horse. The king had crossed from 
Africa on a devout expedition in the cause of 
the Prophet Mahomet. " Verily/ ' says An- 
tonio Agapida, " he had his reward/' 

Diego Perez was not behind his brother in 
prowess ; and Heaven favored him in that 
deadly fight, notwithstanding that he had not 
been pardoned by his enemy. In the heat of 
the battle he had broken both sword and lance ; 
whereupon, tearing off a great knotted limb 



Jfernan&o tbe Saint 281 



from an olive-tree, he laid about him with 
such vigor and manhood that he who got one 
blow in the head from the war-club never 
needed another. Don Alvar Perez, who wit- 
nessed his feats, was seized with delight. At 
each fresh blow that cracked a Moslem skull 
he would cry out : ' ' Assi ! assi ! Diego ; ma- 
chacha ! machacha ! " (So ! so ! Diego ; smash 
them ! smash them ! ) and from that day for- 
ward that strong-handed cavalier went by the 
name of Diego Machacha, or Diego the 
Smasher, and it remained the surname of sev- 
eral of his lineage. 

At length the Moors gave way and fled for 
the gates of Xerez ; being hotly pursued they 
stumbled over the bodies of the slain, and thus 
many were taken prisoners. At the gates the 
press was so great that they killed each other 
in striving to enter ; and the Christian sword 
made slaughter under the walls. 

The Christians gathered spoils of the field, 
after this victory, until they were fatigued with 
collecting them, and the precious articles found 
in the Moorish tents were beyond calculation. 
Their camp-fires were supplied with the shafts 
of broken lances, and they found ample use 
for the cords and osier bands which the Moors 
had provided to bind their expected captives. 

It was a theme of much marvel and solemn 



282 Spanteb papers 



meditation that of all the distinguished cava- 
liers who entered into this battle, not one was 
lost, excepting the same Pero Miguel who 
refused to pardon his adversary. What be- 
came of him no one could tell. The last that 
was seen of him he was in the midst of the 
enemy, cutting down and overturning, for he 
was a valiant warrior and of prodigious 
strength. When the battle and pursuit were 
at an end, and the troops were recalled by 
sound of trumpet, he did not appear. His 
tent remained empty. The field of battle was 
searched, but he was nowhere to be found. 
Some supposed that, in his fierce eagerness to 
make havoc among the Moors, he had entered 
the gates of the city and there been slain ; but 
his fate remained a mere matter of conjecture, 
and the whole was considered an awful warn- 
ing that no Christian should go into battle 
without pardoning those who asked forgive- 
ness. 

"On this day," says the worthy Agapida, 
" it pleased Heaven to work one of its miracles 
in favor of the Christian host ; for the blessed 
Santiago appeared in the air on a white horse, 
with a white banner in one hand and a sword 
in the other, accompanied by a band of cava- 
liers in white. This miracle," he adds, "was 
beheld by many men of verity and worth,' ' 



3fernan&o tbe Saint 283 



probably the monks and priests who accom- 
panied the army, ' ' as well as by numbers of the 
Moors, who declared that the greatest slaughter 
was effected by those sainted warriors. ' ' 

It may be as well to add that Fray Antonio 
Agapida is supported in this marvellous fact by 
Rodrigo, Archbishop of Toledo, one of the 
most learned and pious men of the age, who 
lived at the time and records it in his chronicle. 
It is a matter, therefore, placed beyond the 
doubts of the profane. 

Note by The Editor. — A memorandum at the foot 
of this page of the author's manuscript reminds him 
to " notice death of Queen Beatrix about this time," 
but the text continues silent on the subject. Accord- 
ing to Mariana, she died in the city of Toro in 1235, 
before the siege of Cordova. Another authority gives 
the 5th of November, 1236, as the date of the decease, 
which would be some months after the downfall of 
that renowned city. Her body was interred in the 
nunnery of Las Huelgas at Burgos, and many years 
afterwards removed to Seville, where reposed the re- 
mains of her husband. 




$&&&%.?3. 




~<>X r X&. 



Cbapter OTI. 

A Bold Attempt upon Cordova, the Seat of Moorish 

Power. 

ABOUT this time certain Christian cava- 
liers of the frontiers received informa- 
tion from Moorish captives that the 
noble city of Cordova was negligently 
guarded, so that the suburbs might easily be 
surprised. They immediately concerted a bold 
attempt, and sent to Pedro and Alvar Perez, 
who were at Martos, entreating them to aid 
them with their vassals. Having collected a 
sufficient force, and prepared scaling ladders, 
they approached the city on a dark night in 
January, amid showers of rain and howling 
blasts, which prevented their footsteps being 
heard. Arrived at the foot of the ramparts, 
they listened, but could hear no sentinel. 
The guards had shrunk into the watch-towers 
for shelter from the pelting storm, and the 

284 



jfernanfco tbe Saint 285 



garrison was in profound sleep, for it was the 
midwatch of the night. 

Some, disheartened by the difficulties of the 
place, were for abandoning the attempt, but 
Domingo Mufioz, their adalid, or guide, en- 
couraged them. Silently fastening ladders to- 
gether, so as to be of sufficient length, they 
placed them against one of the towers. The 
first who mounted were Alvar Colodro and 
Benito de Banos, who were dressed as Moors 
and spoke the Arabic language. The tower 
which they scaled is to this day called the 
tower of Alvar Colodro. Entering it suddenly 
but silently, they found four Moors asleep, 
whom they seized and threw over the battle- 
ments, and the Christians below immediately 
despatched them. By this time a number 
more of Christians had mounted the ladder, 
and sallying forth, sword in hand, upon the 
wall, they gained possession of several towers 
and of the gate oY Martos. Throwing open 
the gate, Pero Ruyz Tabur galloped in at the 
head of a squadron of horse, and by the dawn 
of day the whole suburbs of Cordova, called 
the Axarquia, were in their possession ; the 
inhabitants having hastily gathered such of 
their most valuable effects as they could carry 
with them, and taken refuge in the city. 

The cavaliers now barricaded every street of 



286 Spanisb papers 



the suburbs excepting the principal one, which 
was broad and straight ; the Moors, however, 
made frequent sallies upon them, or showered 
down darts and arrows and stones from the 
walls and towers of the city. The cavaliers 
soon found that they had got into warm quar- 
ters, which it would cost them blood and toil 
to maintain. They sent off messengers, there- 
fore, to Don Alvar Perez, then at Martos, and 
to King Fernando, at Benevente, craving in- 
stant aid. The messenger to the king trav- 
elled day and night, and found the king at 
table, when, kneeling down, he presented the 
letter with which he was charged. 

No sooner had the king read the letter than 
he called for horse and weapon. All Benevente 
instantly resounded with the clang of arms 
and tramp of steed ; couriers galloped off in 
every direction, rousing the towns and villages 
to arms, and ordering every one to join the 
king on the frontier. " Cordova ! Cordova ! " 
was the war-cry, — that proud city of the infi- 
dels ! that seat of Moorish power ! The king 
waited not to assemble a great force, but, within 
an hour after receiving the letter, was on the 
road with a hundred good cavaliers. 

It was the depth of winter ; the rivers were 
swollen with rain. The royal party were often 
obliged to halt on the bank of some raging 



ffernant)o the Saint 287 



stream until its waters should subside. The 
king was all anxiety and impatience. Cor- 
dova ! Cordova ! was the prize to be won, and 
the cavaliers might be driven out of the sub- 
urbs before he could arrive to their assistance. 

Arrived at Cordova, he proceeded to the 
bridge of Alcolea, where he pitched his tents 
and displayed the royal standard. 

Before the arrival of the king, Alvar Perez 
had hastened from the castle of Martos with a 
body of troops, and thrown himself into the 
suburbs. Many warriors, both horse and foot, 
had likewise hastened from the frontiers and 
from the various towns to which the king had 
sent his mandates. Some came to serve the 
king, others out of devotion to the holy faith, 
some to gain renown, and not a few to aid in 
plundering the rich city of Cordova. There 
were many monks, also, who had come for the 
glory of God and the benefit of their convents. 

When the Christians in the suburbs saw the 
royal standard floating above the camp of the 
king, the}' shouted for joy, and in the exulta- 
tion of the moment forgot all past dangers and 
hardships. 




Cbapter OTIF1T, 

A Spy in the Christian Camp — Death of Aben Hud — 
A Vital Blow to Moslem Power — Surrender of Cor- 
dova to King Fernando. 

ABEN HUD, the Moorish chief, who had 
been defeated by Alvar Perez and 
Prince Alonzo before Xerez, was at 
this time in Ecija with a large force, 
and disposed to hasten to the aid of Cordova, 
but his recent defeat had made him cautious. 
He had in his camp a Christian cavalier, Don 
I/)renzo Xuares by name, who had been ban- 
ished from Castile by King Fernando. This 
cavalier offered to go as a spy into the Chris- 
tian camp, accompanied by three Christian 
horsemen, and to bring accounts of its situa- 
tion and strength. His offer was gladly ac- 
cepted, and Aben Hud promised to do nothing 
with his forces until his return. 

Don I,orenzo set out privately with his 
companions, and when he came to the end of 

283 



ffetnanfco tbe Saint 289 



the bridge he alighted and took one of the 
three with him, leaving the other two to guard 
the horses. He entered the camp without im- 
pediment, and saw that it was small and of 
but little force ; for, though recruits had re- 
paired from all quarters, they had as yet 
arrived in but scanty numbers. 

As Don Lorenzo approached the camp he 
saw a montero who stood sentinel. " Friend,' ' 
said he, "do me the kindness to call to me 
some person who is about the king, as I have 
something to tell him of great importance." 
The sentinel went in, and brought out Don 
Otiella. Don Lorenzo took him aside and said : 
" Do you not know me? I am Don Lorenzo. 
I pray you tell the king that I entreat permis- 
sion to enter and communicate matters touch- 
ing his safety." 

Don Otiella went in and awoke the king, 
who was sleeping, and obtained permission for 
Don Lorenzo to enter. When the king beheld 
him he was wroth at his presuming to return 
from exile ; but Don Lorenzo replied : ' • Sefior, 
your majesty banished me to the land of the 
Moors to do me harm, but I believe it was in- 
tended by Heaven for the welfare both of your 
majesty and myself." Then he apprised the 
king of the intention of Aben Hud to come 

with a great force against him, and of the 

19 



290 Spanieb papers 



doubts and fears he entertained lest the army 
of the king should be too powerful. Don 
Lorenzo, therefore, advised the king to draw 
off as many troops as could be spared from the 
suburbs of Cordova, and to give his camp as 
formidable an aspect as possible ; and that he 
would return and give Aben Hud such an 
account of the power of the royal camp as 
would deter him from the attack. "If," con- 
tinued Don Lorenzo, " I fail in diverting him 
from his enterprise, I will come off with all my 
vassals and offer myself, and all I can com- 
mand, for the service of your majesty, and 
hope to be accepted for my good intentions. 
As to what takes place in the Moorish camp, 
from hence, in three days, I will send your 
majesty letters by this my squire." 

The king thanked Don Lorenzo for his good 
intentions, and pardoned him, and took him 
as his vassal ; and Don Lorenzo said : " I be- 
seech your majesty to order that for three or 
four nights there be made great fires in various 
parts of the camp, so that in case Aben Hud 
should send scouts by night, there may be the 
appearance of a great host." The king prom- 
ised it should be done, and Don Lorenzo took 
his leave ; rejoining his companions at the 
bridge, they mounted their horses and trav- 
elled all night, and returned to Ecija. 



jfernan&o tbe Saint 291 



When Don Lorenzo appeared in presence of 
Aben Hud he had the air of one fatigued and 
careworn. To the inquiries of the Moor he 
returned answers full of alarm, magnifying the 
power and condition of the royal forces. 
" Senor," added he, " if you would be assured 
of the truth of what I say, send out your scouts, 
and they will behold the Christian tents whiten- 
ing all the banks of the Guadalquivir, and 
covering the country as the snow covers the 
mountains of Granada ; or at night they will see 
fires on hill and dale illumining all the land." 

This intelligence redoubled the doubts and 
apprehensions of Aben Hud. On the following 
day two Moorish horsemen arrived in all haste 
from Zaen, King of Valencia, informing him 
that King James of Aragon was coming against 
that place with a powerful army, and offering 
him the supremacy of the place if he would 
hasten with all speed to its relief. 

Aben Hud, thus perplexed between two 
objects, asked advice of his counsellors, among 
whom was the perfidious Don Iyorenzo. They 
observed that the Christians, though they had 
possession of the suburbs of Cordova, could 
not for a long time master the place. He 
would have time, therefore, to relieve Valencia, 
and then turn his arms and those of King Zaen 
against the host of King Fernando. 



2Q2 Spanish papers 



Aben Hud listened to their advice, and 
marched immediately for Almeria, to take 
thence his ships to guard the port of Valencia. 
While at Almeria a Moor named Aben Arra- 
min, and who was his especial favorite, invited 
him to a banquet. The unsuspecting Aben 
Hud threw off his cares for the time, and, 
giving loose to conviviality in the house of his 
favorite, drank freely of the wine-cup that was 
insidiously pressed upon him, until he became 
intoxicated. He was then suffocated by the 
traitor in a trough of water, and it was given 
out that he had died of apoplexy. 

At the death of Aben Hud, his host fell 
asunder, and every one hied him to his home, 
whereupon Don Lorenzo and the Christians 
who were with him hastened to King Fernando, 
by whom they were graciously received and 
admitted into his royal sendee. 

The death of Aben Hud was a vital blow to 
Moslem power, and spread confusion through- 
out Andalusia. When the people of Cordova 
heard of it, and of the dismemberment of his 
army, all courage withered from their hearts. 
Day after day the army of King Fernando was 
increasing ; the roads were covered with foot- 
soldiers hastening to his standard ; every hidal- 
go who could bestride a horse spurred to the 
banks of the Guadalquivir to be present at 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 293 



the downfall of Cordova. The noblest cava- 
liers of Castile were continually seen marching 
into the camp with banners flying and long 
trains of retainers. 

The inhabitants held out as long as there 
was help or hope ; but they were exhausted 
by frequent combats and, long and increasing 
famine, and now the death of Aben Hud 
cut off all chance of succor. With sad and 
broken spirits, therefore, they surrendered their 
noble city to King Fernando, after a siege of 
six months and six days. The surrender took 
place on Sunday, the twenty-ninth day of July, 
the feast of the glorious Apostles St. Peter and 
St. Paul, in the year of the Incarnation one 
thousand two hundred and thirty-six. 

The inhabitants were permitted to march 
forth in personal safety, but to take nothing 
with them. "Thus," exclaims the pious 
Agapida, "was the city of Cordova, the queen 
of the cities of Andalusia, which so long had 
been the seat of the power and grandeur of the 
Moors, cleansed from all the impurities of 
Mahomet and restored to the dominion of the 
true faith.' ' 

King Fernando immediately ordered the 
cross to be elevated on the tower of the princi- 
pal mosque, and beside it the royal standard ; 
while the bishops, the clergy, and all the 



2Q4 Spanfsb ©apere 



people chanted Te Deum Laudamus, as a song 
of triumph for this great victory of the faith.* 

The king, having now gained full possession 
of the city, began to repair, embellish, and 
improve it. The grand mosque, the great- 
est and most magnificent in Spain, was now 
converted into a holy Catholic church. The 
bishops and other clergy walked round it in 
solemn procession, sprinkling holy water in 
every nook and corner, and performing all 
other rites and ceremonies necessary to purify 
and sanctify it. They erected an altar in it, 
also, in honor of the Virgin, and chanted 
masses with great fervor and unction. In this 
way they consecrated it to the true faith, and 
made it the cathedral of the city. 

In this mosque were found the bells of the 
church of San Iago in Galicia, which the 
Alhagib Almanzor, in the year of our Redemp- 
tion nine hundred and seventy-five, had 
brought off in triumph and placed here, turned 
with their mouths upward to serve as lamps, 
and remain shining mementos of his victory. 
King Fernando ordered that these bells should 
be restored to the church of San Iago ; and as 
Christians had been obliged to bring those 
bells hither on their shoulders, so infidels were 
compelled in like manner to carry them back. 

* Cron. Gen, de Espana, pt. 4. Bleda, lib. 4, c. 10. 



afernanDo tbc Saint 295 



Great was the popular triumph when these 
bells had their tongues restored to them, and 
were once more enabled to fill the air with 
their holy clangor. 

Having ordered all things for the security 
and welfare of the city, the king placed it 
under the government of Don Tello Alonzo de 
Meneses ; he appointed Don Alvar Perez de 
Castro, also, general of the frontier, having his 
stronghold in the castle of the rock of Martos. 
The king then returned, covered with glory, 
to Toledo. 

The fame of the recovery of the renowned 
city of Cordova, which for five hundred and 
twenty-two years had been in the power of the 
infidels, soon spread throughout the kingdom, 
and people came crowding from every part to 
inhabit it. The gates which lately had been 
thronged with steel-clad warriors were now be- 
sieged by peaceful wayfarers of all kinds, con- 
ducting trains of mules laden with their effects 
and all their household wealth ; and so great 
was the throng that in a little while there were 
not houses sufficient to receive them. 

King Fernando, having restored the bells to 
San Iago, had others suspended in the tower 
of the mosque, whence the muezzin had been 
accustomed to call the Moslems to their wor- 
ship. "When the pilgrims/' says Fray An- 



2g6 



Spanisb papers 



tonio Agapida, ' ' who repaired to Cordova, 
heard the holy sound of these bells chiming 
from the tower of the cathedral, their hearts 
leaped for joy, and they invoked blessings on 
the head of the pious King Fernando. 




1 iwnaiaananoDraaiai 



£■000130130)313)3): 



Cbapter 1T£ ♦ 

Marriage of King Fernando to the Princess Juana- 
Famine at Cordova — Don Alvar Perez. 



WHEN Queen Berenguela beheld King 
Fernando returning in triumph 
from the conquest of Cordova, her 
heart was lifted up with transport, 
for there is nothing that more rejoices the heart 
of a mother than the true glory of her son. The 
queen, however, as has been abundantly shown, 
was a woman of great sagacity and forecast. 
She considered that upwards of two years had 
elapsed since the death of the Queen Beatrix, 
and that her son was living in widowhood. 
It is true he was of quiet temperament, and 
seemed sufficiently occupied by the cares of 
government and the wars for the faith ; so that 
apparently he had no thought of further mat- 
rimony ; but the shrewd mother considered 
likewise that he was in the prime and vigor 

297 



jg8 Spanisb papers 



of his days, renowned in arms, noble and com- 
manding in person, and gracious and capti- 
vating in manners, and surrounded by the 
temptations of a court. True, he was a saint 
in spirit, but, after all, in flesh he was a man, 
and might be led away into those weaknesses 
very incident to, but highly unbecoming of, 
the exalted state of princes. The good mother 
was anxious, therefore, that he should enter 
again into the secure and holy state of wed- 
lock. 

King Fernando, a mirror of obedience to his 
mother, readily concurred with her views in 
the present instance, and left it to her judg- 
ment and discretion to make a choice for him. 
The choice fell upon the Princess Juana, 
daughter of the Count of Pothier, and a de- 
scendant of Iyouis the Seventh of France. The 
marriage was negotiated by Queen Beren- 
guela with the Count of Pothier ; and the 
conditions being satisfactorily arranged, the 
princess was conducted in due state to Burgos, 
where the nuptials were celebrated with great 
pomp and ceremony. 

The king, as well as his subjects, was highly 
satisfied with the choice of the sage Beren- 
guela, for the bride was young, beautiful, and 
of stately form, and conducted herself with 
admirable suavity and grace. 



JFernanDo tbe Saint 299 



After the rejoicings were over, King Fer- 
nando departed with his bride and visited the 
principal cities and towns of Castile and I^eon ; 
receiving the homage of his subjects, and ad- 
ministering justice according to the primitive 
forms of those days, when sovereigns attended 
personally to the petitions and complaints of 
their subjects, and went about hearing causes 
and redressing grievances. 

In the course of his progress, hearing while 
at Toledo of a severe famine which prevailed 
at Cordova, he sent a large supply of money 
to that city, and at the same time issued orders 
to various parts, to transport thither as much 
grain as possible. The calamity, however, 
went on increasing. The conquest of Cordova 
had drawn thither great multitudes, expecting 
to thrive on the well-known fertility and 
abundance of the country. But the Moors, 
in the agitation of the time, had almost ceased 
to cultivate their fields ; the troops helped to 
consume the supplies on hand ; there were 
few hands to labor and an infinity of mouths 
to eat, and the cry of famine went on daily 
growing more intense. 

Upon this, Don Alvar Perez, who had com- 
mand of the frontier, set off to represent the 
case in person to the king ; for one living 
word from the mouth is more effective than a 



3oo Spani5b papers 



thousand dead words from the pen. He found 
the king at Valladolid, deeply immersed in the 
religious exercises of Holy Week, and much 
did it grieve this saintly monarch, say his 
chroniclers, to be obliged even for a moment 
to quit the holy quiet of the church for the 
worldly bustle of the palace, to lay by the 
saint and enact the sovereign. Having heard 
the representations of Don Alvar Perez, he 
forthwith gave him ample funds wherewith 
to maintain his castles, his soldiers, and even 
the idlers who thronged about the frontier, 
and who would be useful subjects when the 
times should become settled. Satisfied, also, 
of the zeal and loyalty of Alvar Perez, which 
had been so strikingly displayed in the pres- 
ent instance, he appointed him adelantado of 
the whole frontier of Andalusia — an office 
equivalent to that at present called viceroy. 
Don Alvar hastened back to execute his mis- 
sion and enter upon his new office. He took 
his station at Martos, in its rock-built castle, 
which was the key of all that frontier, whence 
he could carry relief to any point of his com- 
mand, and could make occasional incursions 
into the territories. The following chapter 
will show the cares and anxieties which 
awaited him in his new command. 




Cbapter £ . 

Aben Alhamar, Founder of the Alhambra— Fortifies 
Granada and Makes it his Capital — Attempts to 
Surprise the Castle of Martos — Peril of the Fortress 
— A Woman's Stratagem to Save it — Diego Perez, 
the Smasher — Death of Count Alvar Perez de 
Castro. 



ON the death of Aben Hud, the Moorish 
power in Spain was broken up into 
factions, as has already been men- 
tioned, but these factions were soon 
united under one head, who threatened to be 
a formidable adversary to the Christians. This 
was Mohammed ben Alhamar, or Aben Al- 
hamar, as he is commonly called in history. 
He was a native of Arjona, of noble descent, 
being of the Beni Nasar, or race of Nasar, and 
had been educated in a manner befitting his 
rank. Arrived at manly years, he had been 
appointed alcayde of Arjona and Jaen, and had 
distinguished himself by the justice and benig- 
nity of his rule. He was intrepid, also, and am- 

301 



302 Spanish papers 



bitious, and during the late dissensions among 
the Moslems had extended his territories, mak- 
ing himself master of many strong places. 

On the death of Aben Hud, he made a mili- 
tary circuit through the Moorish territories, 
and was everywhere hailed with acclamations 
as the only one who could save the Moslem 
power in Spain from annihilation. At length 
he entered Granada amidst the enthusiastic 
shouts of the populace. He was proclaimed 
king, and found himself at the head of the Mos- 
lems of Spain, being the first of his illustrious 
line that ever sat upon a throne. It needs 
nothing more to give lasting renown to Aben 
Alhamar than to say he was the founder of 
the Alhambra, that magnificent monument 
which to this day bears testimony to Moorish 
taste and splendor. As yet, however, Aben 
Alhamar had not time to indulge in the 
arts of peace. He saw the storm of war 
that threatened his newly founded kingdom, 
and prepared to buffet with it. The territories 
of Granada extended along the coast from 
Algeziras almost to Murcia, and inland as far 
as Jaen and Huescar. All the frontiers he 
hastened to put in a state of defense, while he 
strongly fortified the city of Granada, which 
he made his capital. 

By the Mahometan law every citizen is a 



JFernanfco the Saint 303 



soldier, and to take arms in defense of the 
country and the faith is a religious and im- 
perative duty. Aben Alhamar, however, knew 
the unsteadiness of hastily levied militia, and 
organized a standing force to garrison his forts 
and cities, the expense of which he defrayed 
from his own revenues. The Moslem warriors 
from all parts now rallied under his standard, 
and fifty thousand Moors, abandoning Valencia 
on the conquest of that country by the king of 
Aragon, hastened to put themselves under the 
dominion of Aben Alhamar. 

Don Alvar Perez, on returning to his post, 
had intelligence of all these circumstances, and 
perceived that he had not sufficient force to 
make head against such a formidable neighbor, 
and that, in fact, the whole frontier, so recently 
wrested from the Moors, was in danger of be- 
ing reconquered. With his old maxim, there- 
fore, " There is more life in one word from the 
mouth than in a thousand words from the pen, ' ' 
he determined to have another interview with 
King Fernando, and acquaint him with the 
imminent dangers impending over the frontier. 

He accordingly took his departure with great 
secrecy, leaving his countess and her women 
and donzellas in his castle of the rock of Martos, 
guarded by his nephew Don Tello and forty 
chosen men. 



304 Spantsb papers 



The departure of Don Alvar Perez was not 
so secret, however, but that Aben Alhamar 
had notice of it by his spies, and he resolved 
to make an attempt to surprise the castle of 
Martos, which, as has been said, was the key- 
to all this frontier. 

Don Tello, who had been left in command 
of the fortress, was a young galliard, full of 
the fire of youth, and he had several hardy and 
adventurous cavaliers with him, among whom 
was Diego Perez de Vargas, surnamed Macha- 
cha, or the Smasher, for his exploits at the 
battle of Xerez in smashing the heads of the 
Moors with the limb of an olive-tree. These 
hot-blooded cavaliers, looking out like hawks 
from their mountain hold, were seized with an 
irresistible inclination to make a foray into the 
lands of their Moorish neighbors. On a bright 
morning they accordingly set forth, promising 
the donzellas of the castle to bring them jewels 
and rich silks, the spoils of Moorish women. 

The cavaliers had not been long gone when 
the castle was alarmed by the sound of trum- 
pets, and the watchman from the tower gave 
notice of a cloud of dust, with Moorish banners 
and armor gleaming through it. It was, in 
fact, the Moorish king, Aben Alhamar, who 
pitched his tents before the castle. 

Great was the consternation that reigned 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 305 



within the walls, for all the men were absent, 
excepting one or two necessary for the service 
of the castle. The dames and donzellas gave 
themselves up to despair, expecting to be car- 
ried away captive, perhaps to supply some 
Moorish harem. The countess, however, was 
of an intrepid spirit and ready invention. Sum- 
moning her duefias and damsels, she made 
them arrange their hair, and dress themselves 
like men, take weapons in hand, and show 
themselves between the battlements. The 
Moorish king was deceived, and supposed the 
fort well garrisoned. He was deterred, there- 
fore, from attempting to take it by storm. In 
the meantime she despatched a messenger by 
the postern-gate, with orders to speed swiftly 
in quest of Don Tello, and tell him the peril 
of the fortress. 

At hearing these tidings, Don Tello and his 
companions turned their reins and spurred 
back for the castle, but on drawing nigh, they 
saw from a hill that it was invested by a nu- 
merous host who were battering the walls. It 
was an appalling sight, — to cut their way 
through such a force seemed hopeless, — yet 
their hearts were wrung with anguish when 
they thought of the countess and her helpless 
donzellas. Upon this, Diego Perez de Vargas, 
surnamed Machacha, stepped forward and pro- 



306 Spanfsb papers 



posed to form a forlorn hope, and attempt to 
force a passage to the castle. * ' If any of us 
succeed/ ' said he, "we may save the countess 
and the rock ; if we fall, we shall save our 
souls and act the parts of good cavaliers. This 
rock is the key of all the frontier, on which the 
king depends to get possession of the country. 
Shame would it be if Moors should capture it ; 
above all if they should lead our honored 
countess and her ladies captive before our eyes, 
while our lances remain unstained by blood 
and we unscarred with a wound. For my 
part, I would rather die than see it. Life is 
but short ; we should do in it our best. So, 
in a word, cavaliers, if you refuse to join me I 
will take my leave of you and do what I can 
with my single arm." 

1 ' Diego Perez, ' ' cried Don Tello, ' ' you have 
spoken my very wishes ; I will stand by you 
until the death, and let those who are good 
cavaliers and hidalgos follow our example. ' ' 

The other cavaliers caught fire at these 
words ; forming a solid squadron, they put 
spurs to their horses and rushed down upon the 
Moors. The first who broke into the ranks of 
the enemy was Diego Perez, the Smasher, and 
he opened a way for the others. Their only 
object was to cut their way to the fortress, so 
they fought and pressed forward. The most of 



ffernando tbe Saint 307 



them got to the rock ; some were cut off by 
the Moors, and died like valiant knights, 
fighting to the last gasp. 

When the Moorish king saw the daring of 
these cavaliers, and that they had succeeded in 
reinforcing the garrison, he despaired of gain- 
ing the castle without much time, trouble, and 
loss of blood. He persuaded himself, there- 
fore, that it was not worth the price, and, 
striking his tents, abandoned the siege. Thus 
the rock of Martos was saved by the sagacity 
of the countess and the prowess of Diego Perez 
de Vargas, surnamed the Smasher. 

In the meantime Don Alvar Perez de Castro 
arrived in presence of the king at Hutiel. 
King Fernando received him with benignity, 
but seemed to think his zeal beyond his pru- 
dence ; leaving so important a frontier so 
weakly guarded, sinking the viceroy in the 
courier, and coming so far to give by word of 
mouth what might easily have been communi- 
cated by letter. He felt the value, however, of 
his loyalty and devotion, but, furnishing him 
with ample funds, requested him to lose no 
time in getting back to his post. The count set 
out on his return, but it is probable the ardor 
and excitement of his spirit proved fatal to him, 
for he was seized with a violent fever when on 
the journey, and died in the town of Orgaz. 




Cbapter £ 1. 

Aben Hudiel, the Moorish King of Murcia, Becomes 
the Vassal of King Fernando — Aben Alhamar Seeks 
to Drive the Christians out of Andalusia — Fernando 
Takes the Field against him — Ravages of the King— 
His Last Meeting with the Queen-Mother. 

THE death of Count Alvar Perez de 
Castro caused deep affliction to King 
Fernando, for he considered him the 
shield of the frontier. While he was 
at Cordova, or at his rock of Martos, the king 
felt as assured of the safety of the border as 
though he had been there himself. As soon as 
he could be spared from Castile and L,eon, he 
hastened to Cordova, to supply the loss the 
frontier had sustained in the person of his 
vigilant lieutenant. One of his first measures 
was to effect a truce of one year with the king 
of Granada, — a measure which each adopted 
with great regret, compelled by his several 
policy : King Fernando to organize and secure 

308 



3fernanfco tbe Saint 309 



his recent conquests ; Aben Alhamar to regu- 
late and fortify his newly founded kingdom. 
Each felt that he had a powerful enemy to 
encounter and a desperate struggle before him. 
King Fernando remained at Cordova until 
the spring of the following year (1241), regu- 
lating the affairs of that noble city, assigning 
houses and estates to such of his cavaliers as 
had distinguished themselves in the conquest, 
and, as usual, making rich donations of towns 
and great tracts of land to the Church and to 
different religious orders. Leaving his brother 
Alfonso with a sufficient force to keep an eye 
upon the king of Granada and hold him in 
check, King Fernando departed for Castile, 
making a circuit by Jaen and Baeza and An- 
dujar, and arriving in Toledo on the fourth of 
April. Here he received important proposi- 
tions from Aben Hudiel, the Moorish King of 
Murcia. The death of Aben Hud had left 
that kingdom a scene of confusion. The al- 
caydes of the different cities and fortresses were 
at strife with each other, and many refused 
allegiance to Aben Hudiel. The latter, too, 
was in hostility with Aben Alhamar, the King 
of Granada, and he feared he would take ad- 
vantage of his truce with King Fernando, and 
the distracted state of the kingdom of Murcia, 
to make an inroad. Thus desperately situated, 



3io Spanisb H>apers 



Aben Hudiel had sent missives to king Fer- 
nando, entreating his protection, and offering 
to become his vassal. 

The king of Castile gladly closed with this 
offer. He forthwith sent his son and heir, the 
Prince Alfonso, to receive the submission of 
the king of Murcia. As the prince was young 
and inexperienced in these affairs of state, he 
sent with him Don Pelayo de Correa, the Grand 
Master of Santiago, a cavalier of consummate 
wisdom and address, and also Rodrigo Gonza- 
lez Giron. The prince was received in Murcia 
with regal honors ; the terms were soon ad- 
justed by which the Moorish king acknowl- 
edged vassalage to King Fernando, and ceded 
to him one half of his revenues, in return for 
which the king graciously took him under his 
protection. The alcaydes of Alicant, Elche, 
Oriola, and several other places agreed to this 
covenant of vassalage, but it was indignantly 
spurned by the Wali of L,orca ; he had been 
put in office by Aben Hud ; and, now that 
potentate was no more, he aspired to exercise 
an independent sway, and had placed alca3 r des 
of his own party in Mula and Carthagena. 

As the Prince Alfonso had come to solemnize 
the act of homage and vassalage proposed by 
the Moorish king, and not to extort submission 
from his subjects by force of arms, he contented 



tfernanfco tbe Saint 311 



himself with making a progress through the 
kingdom and receiving the homage of the ac- 
quiescent towns and cities, after which he re- 
joined his father in Castile. 

It is conceived by the worthy Fray Antonio 
Agapida, as well as by other monkish chroni- 
clers, that this important acquisition of territory 
by the saintly Fernando was a boon from 
Heaven in reward of an offering which he made 
to God of his daughter Berenguela, whom early 
in this year he dedicated as a nun in the con- 
vent of I^as Huelgas, in Burgos — of which con- 
vent the king's sister Constanza was abbess.* 

About this time it was that King Fernando 
gave an instance of his magnanimity and his 
chivalrous disposition. We have seen the 
deadly opposition he had experienced from the 
haughty house of L,ara, and the ruin which the 
three brothers brought upon themselves by their 
traitorous hostility. The anger of the king was 
appeased by their individual ruin ; he did not 
desire to revenge himself upon their helpless 
families, nor to break down and annihilate a 
house lofty and honored in the traditions of 
Spain. One of the brothers, Don Fernando, 
had left a daughter, Dona Sancha Fernandez 
de L,ara ; there happened at this time to be in 
Spain a cousin-german of the king, a prince 
* Cronica del Rey Santo, cap. 18. 



3i2 Spani6b papers 



of Portugal, Don Fernando by name, who held 
the senoria of Serpa. Between this prince and 
Dona Sancha the king effected a marriage, 
whence has sprung one of the most illustrious 
branches of the ancient house of I,ara.* The 
other daughters of Don Fernando retained 
large possessions in Castile ; and one of his 
sons will be found serving valiantly under the 
standard of the king. 

In the meantime the truce with Aben Al- 
hamar, the King of Granada, had greatly 
strengthened the hands of that monarch. He 
had received accessions of troops from various 
parts, had fortified his capital and his frontiers, 
and now fomented disturbances in the neigh- 
boring kingdom of Murcia, — encouraging the 
refractory cities to persist in their refusal of 
vassalage, — hoping to annex that kingdom to 
his own newly consolidated dominions. 

The Wali of L,orca and his partisans, the al- 
caydes of Mula and Carthagena, thus insti- 
gated by the king of Granada, now increased 
in turbulence, and completely overawed the 
feeble-handed Aben Hudiel. King Fernando 
thought this a good opportunity to give his 
son and heir his first essay in arms. He ac- 
cordingly despatched the prince a second time 
to Murcia, accompanied as before by Don 
* Notas para la Vida del Santo Rey y p. 554. 



afernan&o tbe Saint 313 



Pelayo de Correa, the Grand Master of Santi- 
ago ; but he sent him now with a strong mili- 
tary force, to play the part of a conqueror. 
The conquest, as may be supposed, was easy ; 
Mula, Iyorca, and Carthagena soon submitted, 
and the whole kingdom was reduced to vassal- 
age — Fernando henceforth adding to his other 
titles King of Murcia. "Thus," says Fray 
Antonio Agapida, " was another precious jewel 
wrested from the kingdom of Antichrist, and 
added to the crown of this saintly monarch." 

But it was not in Murcia alone that King 
Fernando found himself called to contend with 
his new adversary the king of Granada. That 
able and active monarch, strengthened as has 
been said during the late truce, had made bold 
forays in the frontiers recently conquered by 
King Fernando, and had even extended them 
to the neighborhood of Cordova. In all this 
he had been encouraged by some degree of 
negligence and inaction on the part of King 
Fernando' s brother Alfonso, who had been left 
in charge of the frontier. The prince took the 
field against Aben Alhamar, and fought him 
manfully ; but the Moorish force was too 
powerful to be withstood, and the prince was 
defeated. 

Tidings of this was sent to King Fernando, 
and of the great danger of the frontier, as 



3i4 SpaniBb papers 



Aben Alhamar, flushed with success, was aim- 
ing to drive the Christians out of Andalusia. 
King Fernando immediately set off for the 
frontier, accompanied by the Queen Juana. 
He did not wait to levy a powerful force, but 
took with him a small number — knowing the 
loyalty of his subjects and their belligerent 
propensities, and that they would hasten to 
his standard the moment they knew he was in 
the field and exposed to danger. His force 
accordingly increased as he advanced. At 
Andujar he met his brother Alfonso with the 
relics of his lately defeated army, — all brave 
and expert soldiers. He had now a command- 
ing force, and leaving the queen with a suffi- 
cient guard at Andujar, he set off with his 
brother Alfonso and Don Nuiio Gonzalez de 
I^ara, son of the Count Gonzalo, to scour the 
country about Arjona, Jaen, and Alcandete. 
The Moors took refuge in their strong places, 
whence they saw with aching hearts the deso- 
lation of their country — olive plantations on 
fire, vineyards laid waste, groves and orchards 
cut down, and all the other modes of ravage 
practised in these unsparing wars. 

The king of Granada did not venture to take 
the field ; and King Fernando, meeting no 
enemy to contend with, while ravaging the 
lands of Alcandete, detached a part of his force 



jFernanDo tbe Saint "315 



under Don Rodrigo Fernandez de Castro, a son 
of the brave Alvar Perez, lately deceased, and 
he associated with him Nuno Gonzalez, with 
orders to besiege Arjona. This was a place 
dear to Aben Alhamar, the King of Granada, 
being his native place, where he had first tasted 
the sweets of power. Hence he was commonly 
called the King of Arjona. 

The people of the place, though they had 
quailed before King Fernando, despised his 
officers and set them at defiance. The king 
himself, however, made his appearance on the 
following day with the remainder of his forces, 
whereupon Arjona capitulated. 

While his troops were reposing from their 
fatigues, the king made some further ravages, 
and reduced several small towns to obedience. 
He then sent his brother Don Alfonso with 
sufficient forces to carry fire and sword into 
the Vega of Granada. In the meantime he 
returned to Andujar to the Queen Juana. He 
merely came, say the old chroniclers, for the 
purpose of conducting her to Cordova ; ful- 
filling, always, his duty as a cavalier, without 
neglecting that of a king. 

The moment he had left her in her palace at 
Cordova, he hastened back to join his brother 
in harassing the territories of Granada. He 
came in time ; for Aben Alhamar, enraged at 



316 Spanisb papers 



seeing the destruction of the Vega, made such 
a vigorous sally that had Prince Alfonso been 
alone in command, he might have received a 
second lesson still more disastrous than the 
first. The presence of the king, however, put 
new spirits and valor into the troops : the 
Moors were driven back to the city, and the 
Christians pursued them to the very gates. 
As the king had not sufficient forces with him 
to attempt the capture of this place, he con- 
tented himself with the mischief he had done, 
and, with some more which he subsequently 
effected, he returned to Cordova to let his 
troops rest from their fatigues. 

While the king was in this city a messenger 
arrived from his mother, the Queen Beren- 
guela, informing him of her intention of com- 
ing to pay him a visit. A long time had 
elapsed since they had seen each other, and 
her extreme age rendered her anxious to em- 
brace her son. The king, to prevent her from 
taking so long a journey, set off to meet her, 
taking with him his Queen Juana. The meet- 
ing took place in Pezuelo near Burgos,* and 
was affecting on both sides, for never did son 
and mother love and honor each other more 

* Some chronicles, through mistake, make it Pezuelo 
near Ciudad Real, in the mountains on the confines of 
Granada. 



ilfernanDo tbe Saint 317 



truly. In this interview, the queen represented 
her age and increasing weakness, and her in- 
capacity to cope with the fatigues of public 
affairs, of which she had always shared the 
burden with the king ; she therefore signified 
her wish to retire to her convent, to pass the 
remnant of her days in holy repose. King 
Fernando, who had ever found in his mother 
his ablest counsellor and best support, entreated 
her not to leave his side in these arduous times, 
when the king of Granada on one side, and 
the king of Seville on the other, threatened to 
put all his courage and resources to the trial. 
A long and earnest, yet tender and affection- 
ate, conversation succeeded between them, 
which resulted in the queen-mother's yielding 
to his solicitations. The illustrious son and 
mother remained together six weeks, enjoying 
each other's society, after which they separated 
— the king and queen for the frontier, and the 
queen-mother for Toledo. They were never 
to behold each other again upon earth, for the 
king never returned to Castile. 




Cbapter £1J1L 

King Fernando's Expedition to Andalusia — Siege of 
Jaen — Secret Departure of Aben Alhamar for the 
Christian Camp — He Acknowledges himself the 
Vassal of the King, who Enters Jaen in Triumph. 

IT was in the middle of August, 1245, that 
King Fernando set out on his grand ex- 
pedition to Andalusia, whence he was 
never to return. All that autumn he pur- 
sued the same destructive course as in his pre- 
ceding campaigns, laying waste the country 
with fire and sword in the vicinity of Jaen and 
to Alcala la Real. The town, too, of Illora, 
built on a lofty rock and fancying itself secure, 
was captured and given a prey to flames, which 
was as a bale-fire to the country. Thence he 
descended into the beautiful Vega of Granada, 
ravaging that earthly paradise. Aben Alha- 
mar sallied forth from Granada with what 
forces he could collect, and a bloody battle 

318 



3fernan&o tbe Saint 319 



ensued about twelve miles from Granada. A 
part of the troops of Aben Alhamar were hasty 
levies, inhabitants of the city, and but little 
accustomed to combat ; they lost courage, 
gave way, and threw the better part of the 
troops in disorder ; a retreat took place which 
ended in a headlong flight, in which there was 
great carnage.* 

Content for the present with the ravage he 
had made and the victory he had gained, 
King Fernando now drew off his troops and 
repaired to his frontier hold of Martos, where 
they might rest after their fatigues in security. 

Here he was joined by Don Pelayo Perez 
Correa, the Grand Master of Santiago. This 
valiant cavalier, who was as sage and shrewd 
in council as he was adroit and daring in the 
field, had aided the youthful Prince Alfonso 
in completing the tranquillization of Murcia, 
and leaving him in the quiet administration 
of affairs in that kingdom, had since been on 
a pious and political mission to the court of 
Rome. He arrived most opportunely at Mar- 
tos, to aid the king with his counsels, for there 
was none in whose wisdom and loyalty the 
king had more confidence. 

The grand master listened to all the plans 
of the king for the humiliation of the haughty 
* Conde, torn, iii., c. 5. 



32o Spanisb papers 



king of Granada ; he then gravely but most 
respectfully objected to the course the king 
was pursuing. He held the mere ravaging 
the country of little ultimate benefit. It 
harassed and irritated, but did not destroy the 
enemy, while it fatigued and demoralized the 
army. To conquer the country, they must 
not lay waste the field, but take the towns ; 
so long as the Moors retained their strong- 
holds, so long they had dominion over the 
land. He advised, therefore, as a signal blow 
to the power of the Moorish king, the capture 
of the city of Jaen. This was a city of im- 
mense strength, the bulwark of the kingdom ; 
it was well supplied with provisions and the 
munitions of war ; strongly garrisoned and 
commanded by Abu Omar, native of Cordova, 
a general of cavalry, and one of the bravest 
officers of Aben Alhamar. King Fernando 
had already besieged it in vain, but the reason- 
ing of the grand master had either convinced 
his reason or touched his pride. He set him- 
self down before the walls of Jaen, declaring 
he would never raise the siege until he was 
master of the place. For a long time the siege 
was carried on in the depth of winter, in defi- 
ance of rain and tempests. Aben Alhamar 
was in despair ; he could not relieve the place ; 
he could not again venture on a battle with 



tfernanfco tbe Saint 321 



the king after his late defeat. He saw that 
Jaen must fall, and feared it would be fol- 
lowed by the fall of Granada. He was a man 
of ardent spirit and quick and generous im- 
pulses. Taking a sudden resolution, he de- 
parted secretly for the Christian camp, and 
made his way to the presence of King Fer- 
nando. " Behold before you," said he, "the 
king of Granada. Resistance I find unavail- 
ing ; I come, trusting to your magnanimity 
and good faith, to put myself under your pro- 
tection and acknowledge myself your vassal.' ' 
So saying, he knelt and kissed the king's hand 
in token of homage. 

"King Fernando," say the old chroniclers, 
" was not to be outdone in generosity. He 
raised his late enemy from the earth, embraced 
him as a friend, and left him in the sovereignty 
of his dominions ; the good king, however, was 
as politic as he was generous. He received 
Aben Alhamar as a vassal ; conditioned for 
the delivery of Jaen into his hands ; for the 
yearly payment of one half of his revenues ; 
for his attendance at the cortes as one of the 
nobles of the empire, and his aiding Castile in 
war with a certain number of horsemen." 

In compliance with these conditions, Jaen 
was given up to the Christian king, who en- 
tered it in triumph about the end of Febru- 



322 Spanisb papers 



ary.* His first care was to repair in grand 
procession, bearing the holy cross, to the prin- 
cipal mosque, which was purified and sanc- 
tified by the bishop of Cordova, and erected 
into a cathedral and dedicated to the most 
holy Virgin Mar}\ 

He remained some time in Jaen, giving re- 
pose to his troops, regulating the affairs of 
this important place, disposing of houses and 
estates among his warriors who had most dis- 
tinguished themselves, and amply rewarding 
the priests and monks who had aided him 
with their prayers. 

As to Aben Alhamar, he returned to Gra- 
nada, relieved from apprehension of impending 
ruin to his kingdom, but deeply humiliated at 
having to come under the yoke of vassalage. 
He consoled himself by prosecuting the arts 
of peace, improving the condition of his peo- 
ple, building hospitals, founding institutions 
of learning, and beautifying his capital with 
those magnificent edifices which remain the 
admiration of posterity ; for now it was that 
he commenced to build the Alhambra. 

Note. — There is some dispute among historians as 
to the duration of the siege and the date of the sur- 
render of Jaen. Some make the siege endure eight 

* Notas para la Vida, etc., p. 562. 



afernan&o tbe Saint 



323 



months, from August into the middle of April. The 
authentic Agapida adopts the opinion of the author 
of Notas para la Vida del Santo Rey, etc., who makes 
the siege begin on the 31st December, and end about 
26th February. 





Cbapter £ m. 

Axataf, King of Seville, Exasperated at the Submis- 
sion of the King of Granada, Rejects the Proposi- 
tions of King Fernando for a Truce — The Latter is 
Kncouraged by a Vision to Undertake the Conquest 
of the City of Seville — Death of Queen Berenguela 
— A Diplomatic Marriage. 

KING FERNANDO, having reduced the 
fair kingdom of Granada to vassalage, 
and fortified himself in Andalusia by 
the possession of the strong city of 
Jaen, bethought him now of returning to 
Castile. There was but one Moorish potentate 
in Spain whose hostilities he had to fear : this 
was Axataf, the King of Seville. He was the 
son of Aben Hud, and succeeded to a portion 
of his territories. Warned by the signal defeat 
of his father at Xerez, he had forborne to take 
the field against the Christians, but had spared 
no pains and expense to put the city of Seville 
in the highest state of defense ; strengthening 

324 



ffernanfco tbe Saint 325 



its walls and towers, providing it with mu- 
nitions of war of all kinds, and exercising his 
people continually in the use of arms. King 
Fernando was loth to leave this great frontier 
in its present unsettled state, with such a 
powerful enemy in the neighborhood, who 
might take advantage of his absence to break 
into open hostility ; still it was his policy to 
let the sword rest in the sheath until he had 
completely secured his new possessions. He 
sought, therefore, to make a truce with King 
Axataf, and, to enforce his propositions, it is 
said he appeared with his army before Seville 
in May, 1246.* His propositions were rejected, 
as it were, at the very gate. It appears that 
the King of Seville was exasperated rather 
than dismayed by the submission of the king 
of Granada. He felt that on himself depended 
the last hope of Islamism in Spain ; he trusted 
on aid from the coast of Barbary, with which 
his capital had ready communication by water ; 
and he resolved to make a bold stand in the 
cause of his faith. 

King Fernando retired indignant from before 
Seville, and repaired to Cordova, with the 
pious determination to punish the obstinacy 
and humble the pride of the infidel, by plant- 
ing the standard of the cross on the walls of 
* Notas para la Vida del Santo Rey y p. 572. 



326 Spanfsb papers 



his capital. Seville once in his power, the 
rest of Andalusia would soon follow, and then 
his triumph over the sect of Mahomet would be 
complete. Other reasons may have concurred 
to make him covet the conquest of Seville. 
It was a city of great splendor and wealth, 
situated in the midst of a fertile country, in a 
genial climate, under a benignant sky ; and 
having by its river, the Guadalquivir, an open 
highway for commerce, it was the metropolis 
of all Morisma — a world of wealth and delight 
within itself. 

These were sufficient reasons for aiming at 
the conquest of this famous ciiy, but these 
were not sufficient to satisfy the holy friars 
who have written the history of this monarch, 
and who have found a reason more befitting 
his character of saint. Accordingly we are 
told, by the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, 
that at a time when the king was in deep 
affliction for the death of his mother,, the 
Queen Berenguela, and was praying with great 
fervor, there appeared before him Saint Isidro, 
the great Apostle of Spain, who had been 
Archbishop of Seville in old times, before the 
perdition of Spain by the Moors. As the 
monarch gazed in reverent wonder at the vision, 
the saint laid on him a solemn injunction 
to rescue from the empire of Mahomet his 



jFernanfco tbe Saint 327 



city of Seville. ' ' Que asi la llamo por suya en la 
patria, suya en la silla y y suya en la protection." 
"Such," says Agapida, " was the true reason 
why this pious king undertook the conquest of 
Seville ' ' ; and in this assertion he is supported 
by many Spanish chroniclers ; and by the tra- 
ditions of the Church — the vision of San Isidro 
being read to this day among its services.* 

The death of Queen Berenguela, to which 
we have just adverted, happened some months 
after the conquest of Jaen and submission of 
Granada. The grief of the king on hearing 
the tidings, we are told, was past description. 
For a time it quite overwhelmed him. ' ' Nor 
is it much to be marvelled at," says an old 
chronicler; "for never did monarch lose a 
mother so noble and magnanimous in all her 
actions. She was indeed accomplished in all 
things, an example of every virtue, the mirror 
of Castile and Leon and all Spain, by whose 
counsel and wisdom the affairs of many king- 
doms were governed. This noble queen," 
continues the chronicler, * * was deplored in all 
the cities, towns, and villages of Castile and 
Iyeon ; by all people, great and small, but 
especially by poor cavaliers, to whom she was 
ever a benefactress." t 

* Rodriguez, Memorias del Santo Rey y c. lviii 
t Cronica del Rey Don Fernando, c. xiii. 



328 Spanisb papers 



Another heavy loss to King Fernando, about 
this time, was that of the Archbishop of Toledo, 
Don Rodrigo, the great adviser of the king in 
all his expeditions, and the prelate who first 
preached the grand crusade in Spain. He 
lived a life of piety, activity, and zeal, and 
died full of years, of honors, and of riches — 
having received princely estates and vast 
revenues from the king in reward of his servi- 
ces in the cause. 

These private afflictions for a time occupied 
the royal mind ; the king was also a little dis- 
turbed by some rash proceedings of his son, 
the hereditary Prince Alfonso, who, being left 
in the government of Murcia, took a notion of 
imitating his father in his conquests, and made 
an inroad into the Moorish kingdom of Valen- 
cia, at that time in a state of confusion. This 
brought on a collision with King Jayme of 
Aragon, surnamed the Conqueror, who had 
laid his hand upon all Valencia, as by his right 
of arms. There was thus danger of a rupture 
with Aragon, and of King Fernando having 
an enemy on his back, while busied in his 
wars in Andalusia. Fortunately King Jayme 
had a fair daughter, the Princess Violante ; 
and the grave diplomatists of the two courts 
determined that it were better the two children 
should marry, than the two fathers should 



JFernanDo tbe Saint 329 



fight. To this arrangement King Fernando 
and King Jay me gladly assented. They were 
both of the same faith ; both proud of the name 
of Christians ; both zealous in driving Ma- 
hometanism out of Spain, and in augmenting 
their empires with its spoils. The marriage 
was accordingly solemnized in Valladolid in 
the month of November in this same year ; 
and now the saintly King Fernando turned his 
whole energies to this great and crowning 
achievement, the conquest of Seville, the em- 
porium of Mahometanism in Spain. 

Foreseeing, as long as the mouth of the 
Guadalquivir was open, the city could receive 
reinforcements and supplies from Africa, the 
king held consultations with a wealthy man of 
Burgos, Ramon Bonifaz, or Boniface, byname, 
— some say a native of France, — one well ex- 
perienced in maritime affairs, and capable of 
fitting out and managing a fleet. This man he 
constituted his admiral, and sent him to Biscay 
to provide and arm a fleet of ships and galleys, 
with which to attack Seville by water, while 
the king should invest it by land. 





Cbapter $ W. 

Investment of Seville — All Spain Aroused to Arms — 
Surrender of Alcala del Rio — The Fleet of Admiral 
Ramon Bonifaz Advances up the Guadalquivir — 
Don Pel ay o Correa, Master of Santiago — His Val- 
orous deeds and the Miracles Wrought in his 
Behalf. 



WHEN it was bruited abroad that 
King Fernando the Saint intended 
to besiege the great city of Seville, 
all Spain was roused to arms. The 
master of the various military and religious 
orders, the ricos hombres, the princes, cavaliers, 
hidalgos, and every one of Castile and Leon 
capable of bearing arms, prepared to take the 
field. Many of the nobility of Catalonia and 
Portugal repaired to the standard of the king, 
as did other cavaliers of worth and prowess 
from lands far beyond the Pyrenees. 

Prelates, priests, and monks likewise 
thronged to the army, — some to take care of 

350 



aFernan&o tbe Saint 331 



the souls of those who hazarded their lives in 
this holy enterprise, others with a zealous de- 
termination to grasp buckler and lance, and 
battle with the arm of flesh against the ene- 
mies of God and the Church. 

At the opening of spring the assembled 
host issued forth in shining array from the 
gates of Cordova. After having gained pos- 
session of Carmona, and L,ora and Alcolea, and 
of other neighboring places, — some by volun- 
tary surrender, others by force of arms, — the 
king crossed the Guadalquivir, with great diffi- 
culty and peril, and made himself master of 
several of the most important posts in the 
neighborhood of Seville. Among these was 
Alcala del Rio, a place of great consequence, 
through w T hich passed all the succors from the 
mountains to the city. This place was bravely 
defended by Axataf in person, the commander 
of Seville. He remained in Alcala with three 
hundred Moorish cavaliers, making frequent 
sallies upon the Christians, and effecting great 
slaughter. At length he beheld all the coun- 
try around laid waste, the grain burnt or 
trampled down, the vineyards torn up, the cat- 
tle driven away, and the villages consumed ; 
so that nothing remained to give sustenance 
to the garrison or the inhabitants. Not daring 
to linger there any longer, he departed secretly 



332 Spantsb ©apers 



in the night and retired to Seville, and the town 
surrendered to King Fernando. 

While the king was putting Alcala del Rio 
in a state of defense, Admiral Ramon Bonifaz 
arrived at the mouth of the Guadalquivir with 
a fleet of thirteen large ships and several small 
vessels and galleys. While he was yet hover- 
ing about the land, he heard of the approach 
of a great force of ships from Tangier, Ceuta, 
and Seville, and of an ara^ to assail him from 
the shores. In this peril he sent in all speed 
for succor to the king ; when it reached the 
sea-coast the enemy had not yet appeared ; 
wherefore, thinking it a false alarm, the rein- 
forcement returned to the camp. Scarcely, 
however, had it departed when the Africans 
came swarming over the sea, and fell upon 
Ramon Bonifaz with a greatly superior force. 
The admiral, in no way dismayed, defended 
himself vigorously — sunk several of the enemy, 
took a few prizes, and put the rest to flight, 
remaining master of the river. The king had 
heard of the peril of the fleet, and, crossing 
the ford of the river, had hastened to its aid ; 
but when he came to the sea-coast, he found 
it victorious, at which he was greatly rejoiced, 
and commanded that it should advance higher 
up the river. 

It was on the twentieth of the month of 



jfetnanDo tbe Saint 333 



August that King Fernando began formally 
the siege of Seville, having encamped his 
troops, small in number but of stout hearts 
and valiant hands, near to the city on the 
banks of the river. From hence Don Pelayo 
Correa, the valiant Master of Santiago, with 
two hundred and sixty horsemen, many of 
whom were warlike friars, attempted to cross 
the river at the ford below Aznal Farache. 
Upon this, Aben Amaken, Moorish King of 
Niebla, sallied forth with a great host to de- 
fend the pass, and the cavaliers were exposed 
to imminent peril, until the king sent one hun- 
dred cavaliers to their aid, led on by Rodrigo 
Flores and Alonzo Tellez and Fernan Dianez. 
Thus reinforced, the Master of Santiago 
scoured the opposite side of the river, and with 
his little army of scarce four hundred horse- 
men, mingled monks and soldiers, spread dis- 
may throughout the country. They attacked 
the town of Gelbes, and, after a desperate com- 
bat, entered it, sword in hand, slaying or 
capturing the Moors, and making rich booty. 
They made repeated assaults upon the castle 
of Triana, and had bloody combats with its 
garrison, but could not take the place. This 
hardy band of cavaliers had pitched their tents 
and formed their little camp on the banks of 
the river, below the castle of Aznal Farache, 



334 Spanteb papers 



This fortress was situated on an eminence 
above the river, and its massive ruins, remain- 
ing at the present day, attest its formidable 
strength. 

When the Moors from the castle towers 
looked down upon this little camp of Christian 
cavaliers, and saw them sallying forth and 
careering about the country, and returning in 
the evenings with cavalgadas of sheep and 
cattle, and mules laden with spoil, and long 
trains of captives, they were exceedingly 
wroth, and they kept a watch upon them, and 
sallied forth every day to fight with them, and 
to intercept stragglers from their camp, and to 
carry off their horses. Then the cavaliers 
concerted together, and they lay in ambush 
one day in the road by which the Moors were 
accustomed to sally forth, and when the Moors 
had partly passed their ambush, they rushed 
forth and fell upon them, and killed and cap- 
tured above three hundred, and pursued the 
remainder to the very gates of the castle. 
From that time the Moors were so disheartened 
that they made no further sallies. 

Shortly after, the Master of Santiago receiv- 
ing secret intelligence that a Moorish sea- 
captain had passed from Seville to Triana, on 
his way to succor the castle of Aznal Farache, 
placed himself, with a number of chosen cava- 



jFernanfco tbe Saint 335 



Hers, in ambuscade at a pass by which the 
Moors were expected to come. After waiting 
a long time, their scouts brought word that 
the Moors had taken another road, and were 
nearly at the foot of the hill on which stood 
the castle. " Cavaliers,' ' cried the master, " it 
is not too late ; let us first use our spurs and 
then our weapons, and if our steeds prove 
good, the day will yet be ours." So saying, 
he put spurs to his horse, and the rest follow- 
ing his example, they soon came in sight of 
the Moors. The latter, seeing the Christians 
coming after them full speed, urged their 
horses up the hill towards the castle, but the 
Christians overtook them and slew seven of 
those in the rear. In the skirmish, Garci 
Perez struck the Moorish captain from his 
horse with a blow of his lance. The Christians 
rushed forward to take him prisoner. On 
seeing this, the Moors turned back, threw 
themselves between their commander and his 
assailants, and kept the latter in check while 
he was conveyed into the castle. Several of 
them fell, covered with wounds ; the residue, 
seeing their chieftain safe, turned their reins 
and galloped for the castle, just entering in 
time to have the gates closed upon their pur- 
suers. 

Time and space permit not to recount the 



336 Spani6b papers 



many other valorous deeds of Don Pelayo 
Correa, the good Master of Santiago, and his 
band of cavaliers and monks. His little camp 
became a terror to the neighborhood, and 
checked the sallies of the Moorish mountain- 
eers from the Sierra Morena. In one of his 
enterprises he gained a signal advantage over 
the foe, but the approach of night threatened 
to defraud him of his victory. Then the pious 
warrior lifted up his voice and supplicated the 
Virgin Mary in those celebrated words, Santa 
Maria, deten tu dia (Holy Mary, detain thy 
day), for it was one of the days consecrated to 
the Virgin. The blessed Virgin listened to the 
prayer of her valiant votary ; the daylight 
continued in a supernatural manner, until the 
victory of the good Master of Santiago was 
completed. In honor of this signal favor, he 
afterwards erected a temple to the Virgin by 
the name of Nuestra Sefiora de Tentudia.* 

If any one should doubt this miracle, 
wrought in favor of this pious warrior and his 
soldiers of the cowl, it may be sufficient to 
relate another, which immediately succeeded, 
and which shows how peculiarly he was under 
the favor of Heaven. After the battle was 
over, his followers were ready to faint with 
thirst, and could find no stream or fountain ; 
* Zuniga, Annates de Sevilta, 1. i. 



3fernan&o tbe Saint 



337 



and when the good master saw the distress of 
his soldiers, his heart was touched with com- 
passion, and, bethinking himself of the miracle 
performed by Moses, in an impulse of holy 
zeal and confidence, and in the name of the 
blessed Virgin, he struck a dry and barren 
rock with his lance, and instantly there gushed 
forth a fountain of water, at which all his 
Christian soldiery drank and were refreshed.* 
So much at present for the good Master of 
Santiago, Don Pelayo Correa. 

* Jacob Paranes, Lib. de los Maestro s de St. I ago. 
Corona Gotica, t. 3, \ xiii. Zuniga, Annates de 
Sevilla, 





Cbaptet £ U. 

King Fernando Changes his Camp — Garci Perez 
and the Seven Moors. 

KING FERNANDO the Saint soon found 
his encampment on the banks of the 
Guadalquivir too much exposed to the 
sudden sallies and insults of the Moors. 
As the land was level, they easily scoured the 
fields, carried off horses and stragglers from 
the camp, and kept it in continual alarm. He 
drew off, therefore, to a securer place, called 
Tablada, the same where at present is situated 
the hermitage of Nuestra Sefiora de el Balme. 
Here he had a profound ditch digged all round 
the camp, to shut up the passes from the Moor- 
ish cavalry. He appointed patrols of horse- 
men also, completely armed, who continually 
made the rounds of the camp, in successive 
bands, at all hours of the day and night.* 

* Corona Gotica, t. 3, \ viii. 
338 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 339 



In a little while his army was increased by the 
arrival of troops from all parts, — nobles, cava- 
liers, and rich men, with their retainers, — nor 
were there wanting holy prelates, who assumed 
the warrior, and brought large squadrons of 
well-armed vassals to the army. Merchants 
and artificers now daily arrived, and wandering 
minstrels, and people of all sorts, and the camp 
appeared like a warlike city, where rich and 
sumptuous merchandise was mingled with the 
splendor of arms ; and the various colors of 
the tents and pavilions, and the fluttering 
standards and pennons bearing the painted 
devices of the proudest houses of Spain, were 
gay and glorious to behold. 

When the king had established the camp in 
Tablada he ordered that every day the foragers 
should sally forth in search of provisions and 
provender, guarded by strong bodies of troops. 
The various chiefs of the army took turns to 
command the guard who escorted the foragers. 
One day it was the turn of Garci Perez, the 
same cavalier who had killed the king of the 
Azules. He was a hardy, iron warrior, sea- 
soned and scarred in warfare, and renowned 
among both Moors and Christians for his great 
prowess, his daring courage, and his coolness 
in the midst of danger. Garci Perez had 
lingered in the camp until some time after the 



340 Spanisb papers 



foragers had departed, who were already out 
of sight. He at length set out to join them, 
accompanied by another cavalier. They had 
not proceeded far before they perceived seven 
Moorish genetes, or light-horsemen, directly 
in their road. When the companion of Garci 
Perez beheld such a formidable array of foes, 
he paused and said : " Sefior Perez, let us re- 
turn ; the Moors are seven and we but two, 
and there is no law in the duello which obliges 
us to make front against such fearful odds." 

To this Garci Perez replied : ' ' Sefior, for- 
ward, always forward ; let us continue on our 
road ; those Moors will never wait for us. ' ' 
The other cavalier, however, exclaimed against 
such rashness, and turning the reins of his 
horse, returned as privately as possible to the 
camp, and hastened to his tent. 

All this happened within sight of the camp. 
The king was at the door of his royal tent, 
which stood on a rising ground and overlooked 
the place where this occurred. When the king 
saw one cavalier return and the other continue, 
notwithstanding that there were seven Moors 
in the road, he ordered that some horsemen 
should ride forth to his aid. 

Upon this Don Lorenzo Xuarez, who was 
with the king and had seen Garci Perez sally 
forth from the camp, said: "Your majesty 



ffernanfco tbe Saint 341 



may leave that cavalier to himself; that is 
Garci Perez, and he has no need of aid against 
seven Moors. If the Moors know him they 
will not meddle with him ; and if they do, 
your majesty will see what kind of a cavalier 
he is." 

They continued to watch the cavalier, who 
rode on tranquilly as if in no apprehension. 
When he drew nigh to the Moors, who were 
drawn up on each side of the road, he took 
his arms from his squire and ordered him not 
to separate from him. As he was lacing his 
morion^ an embroidered cap which he wore on 
his head fell to the ground without his per- 
ceiving it. Having laced the capellina y he 
continued on his way, and his squire after him. 
When the Moors saw him near by they knew 
by his arms that it was Garci Perez, and be- 
thinking them of his great renown for terrible 
deeds in arms, they did not dare to attack him, 
but went along the road even with him, he on 
one side, they on the other, making menaces. 

Garci Perez went on his road with great se- 
renity, without making any movement. When 
the Moors saw that he heeded not their men- 
aces, they turned round and went back to 
about the place where he dropped his cap. 

Having arrived at some distance from the 
Moors, he took off his arms to return them to 



342 Spanisb papers 



his squire, and unlacing the capellina, found 
that the cap was wanting. He asked the 
squire for it, but the latter knew nothing about 
it. Seeing that it had fallen, he again de- 
manded his arms of the squire, and returned 
in search of it, telling his squire to keep close 
behind him and look out well for it. The 
squire remonstrated. "What, sen or," said 
he, " will 3^ou return and place yourself in 
such great trouble for a mere capaf Have 
you not already done enough for your honor, 
in passing so daringly by seven Moors, and 
have you not been singularly favored by for- 
tune in escaping unhurt, and do you seek again 
to tempt fortune for a cap ? ' ' 

" Say no more," replied Garci Perez ; " that 
cap was worked for me by a fair lady ; I hold 
it of great value. Besides, dost thou not see 
that I have not a head to be without a cap ? ' ' 
alluding to the baldness of his head, which 
had no hair in front. So saying, he tranquilly 
returned towards the Moors. When Don Lo- 
renzo Xuarez saw this, he said to the king : 
"Behold! your majesty, how Garci Perez 
turns upon the Moors ; since they will not 
make an attack, he means to attack them. Now 
your majesty will see the noble valor of this 
cavalier, if the Moors dare to await him." 
When the Moors beheld Garci Perez approach- 



ffernan&o tbe Saint 343 



ing they thought he meant to assault them, 
and drew off, not daring to encounter him. 
When Don L,orenzo saw this he exclaimed : 
"Behold! your majesty, the truth of what 
I told you. These Moors dare not wait for 
him. I know well the valor of Garci Perez, 
and it appears the Moors are aware of it like- 



wise." 



In the meantime Garci Perez came to the . 
place where the capa had fallen, and beheld it 
upon the earth. Then he ordered his squire 
to dismount and pick it up, and putting it de- 
liberately on his head, he continued on his way 
to the foragers. 

When he returned to the camp from guard- 
ing the foragers, Don Iyorenzo asked him, in 
presence of the king, who was the cavalier 
who had set out with him from the camp, but 
had turned back on sight of the Moors ; he 
replied that he did not know him, and he was 
confused, for he perceived that the king had 
witnessed what had passed, and he was so 
modest withal, that he was ever embarrassed 
when his deeds were praised in his presence. 

Don L,orenzo repeatedly asked him who was 
the recreant cavalier, but he always replied 
that he did not know, although he knew full 
well and saw him daily in the camp. But he 
was too generous to say anything that should 



344 



Spanteb papers 



take away the fame of another, and he charged 
his squire that never, by word or look, he 
should betray the secret ; so that, though in- 
quiries were often made, the name of that 
cavalier was never discovered. 





Cbapter £ M. 

Of the Raft Built by the Moors, and how it was 
Boarded by Admiral Bonifaz — Destruction of the 
Moorish Fleet — Succor from Africa. 

WHIIyE the army of King Fernando 
the Saint harassed, the city by land 
and cut off its supplies, the bold 
Bonifaz, with his fleet, shut up the 
river, prevented all succor from Africa, and 
menaced to attack the bridge between Triana 
and Seville, by which the city derived its sus- 
tenance from the opposite country. The Moors 
saw their peril. If this pass were destroyed, 
famine must be the consequence, and the mul- 
titude of their soldiers, on which at present 
they relied for safety, would then become the 
cause of their destruction. 

So the Moors devised a machine by which 
they hoped to sweep the river and involve the 
invading fleet in ruin. They made a raft so 
wide that it reached from one bank to the other, 
and they placed all round it pots and vessels 

345 



346 Spanfeb papers 



filled with resin, pitch, tar, and other combusti- 
bles, forming what is called Greek fire, and upon 
it was a great number of armed men ; and on 
each shore — from the castle of Triana on the 
one side, and from the city on the other — sallied 
forth legions of troops to advance at the same 
time with the raft. The raft was preceded by 
several vessels well armed, to attack the Chris- 
tian ships, while the soldiers on the raft should 
hurl on board their pots of fire ; and at length, 
setting all the combustibles in a blaze, should 
send the raft flaming into the midst of the hostile 
fleet, and wrap it in one general conflagration. 
When everything w T as prepared, the Moors 
set off by land and water, confident of success. 
But they proceeded in a wild, irregular manner, 
shouting and sounding drums and trumpets, 
and began to attack the Christian ships fiercely, 
but without concert, hurling their pots of fire 
from a distance, filling the air with smoke, but 
falling short of their enemy. The tumultuous 
uproar of their preparations had put all the 
Christians on their guard. The bold Bonifaz 
waited not to be assailed ; he boarded the raft, 
attacked vigorously its defenders, put many 
of them to the sword, and drove the rest into 
the water, and succeeded in extinguishing the 
Greek fire. He then encountered the ships of 
war, grappling them and fighting hand to hand 



ffernanfco tbe Saint 347 



from ship to ship. The action was furious and 
bloody, and lasted all day. Many were cut down 
in flight, many fell into the water, and many in 
despair threw themselves in and were drowned. 

The battle had raged no less furiously upon 
the land. On the side of Seville, the troops 
had issued from the camp of King Fernando, 
while on the opposite shore the brave Mas- 
ter of Santiago, Don Pelayo Perez Correa, 
with his warriors and fighting friars, had made 
short work with the enemy. In this way a 
triple battle was carried on : there was the rush 
of squadrons, the clash of arms, and the din 
of drums and trumpets on either bank, while 
the river was covered with vessels, tearing each 
other to pieces, as it were, their crews fighting 
in the midst of flame and smoke, the waves 
red with blood and filled with the bodies of 
the slain. At length the Christians were 
victorious ; most of the enemies' vessels were 
taken or destroyed, and on either shore the 
Moors, broken and discomfited, fled, — those on 
the one side for the gates of Seville, and those 
on the other for the castle of Triana, — pursued 
with great slaughter by the victors. 

Notwithstanding the great destruction of 
their fleet, the Moors soon renewed their at- 
tempts upon the ships of Ramon Bonifaz, for 
they knew that the salvation of the city 



34§ Spantsb papers 



required the freedom of the river. Succor 
arrived from Africa, of ships, with troops and 
provisions ; they rebuilt the fire-ships which 
had been destroyed, and incessant combats, 
feints, and stratagems took place daily, both 
on land and water. The admiral stood in great 
dread of the Greek fire used by the Moors. 
He caused large stakes of wood to be placed in 
the river, to prevent the passage of the fire- 
ships. This for some time was of avail ; but 
the Moors, watching an opportunity when the 
sentinels were asleep, came and threw cables 
round the stakes, and fastening the other ends 
to their vessels, made all sail, and, by the help 
of wind and oars, tore away the stakes and 
carried them off with shouts of triumph. The 
clamorous exultation of the Moors betrayed 
them. The Admiral Bonifaz was aroused. 
With a few of the lightest of his vessels he 
immediately pursued the enemy. He came 
upon them so suddenly that they were too 
much bewildered either to fight or fly. Some 
threw themselves into the waves in affright ; 
others attempted to make resistance and were 
cut down. The admiral took four barks laden 
with arms and provisions, and with these 
returned in triumph to his fleet.* 

* Cronica Gotica y 1. 3, § 13. Cronica General, pt. 4. 

Cronica del Santo Rcy, c. 55. 




Cbapter f OT1T. 

Of the Stout Prior, Ferran Ruyz, and how he Rescued 
his Cattle from the Moors — Further Enterprises of 
the Prior, and of the Ambuscade into which he 
Fell. 

IT happened one day that a great part of the 
cavaliers of the army were absent, some 
making cavalgadas about the country, 
others guarding the foragers, and others 
gone to receive the Prince Alfonso, who was 
on his way to the camp from Murcia. At this 
time ten Moorish cavaliers, of the brave lineage 
of the Azules, finding the Christian camp but 
thinly peopled, came prowling about, seeking 
where they might make a bold inroad. As 
they were on the lookout they came to that 
part of the camp where were the tents of the 
stout Friar Ferran Ruyz, prior of the hospital. 
The stout prior and his fighting brethren, were 
as good at foraging as fighting. Around their 
quarters there were several sleek cows grazing, 

349 



350 Spantsb papers 



which they had carried off from the Moors. 
When the Azules saw these, they thought to 
make a good prize, and to bear off the prior's 
cattle as a trophy. Careering lightly round, 
therefore, between the cattle and the camp, 
they began to drive them towards the city. 
The alarm was given in the camp, and six 
sturdy friars sallied forth, on foot, with two 
cavaliers, in pursuit of the marauders. The 
prior himself was roused by the noise ; when 
he heard that the beeves of the Church were 
in danger his ire was kindled ; and buckling 
on his armor, he mounted his steed and gal- 
loped furiously to the aid of his valiant friars, 
and the rescue of his cattle. The Moors at- 
tempted to urge on the lagging and full-fed 
kine, but finding the enemy close upon them, 
they were obliged to abandon their spoil among 
the olive-trees, and to retreat. The prior then 
gave the cattle in charge to a squire, to drive 
them back to the camp. He would have re- 
turned himself, but his friars had continued on 
for some distance. The stout prior, therefore, 
gave spurs to his horse and galloped beyond 
them, to turn them back. Suddenly great 
shouts and cries arose before and behind him, 
and an ambuscade of Moors, both horse and 
foot, came rushing out of a ravine. The stout 
Prior of San Juan saw that there was no re- 



ffernanfco tbe Saint 351 



treat ; and he disdained to render himself a 
prisoner. Commending himself to his patron 
saint, and bracing his shield, he charged 
bravely among the Moors, and began to lay 
about him with a holy zeal of spirit and a vig- 
orous arm of flesh. Every blow that he gave 
was in the name of San Juan, and every blow 
laid an infidel in the dust. His friars, seeing 
the peril of their leader, came running to his 
aid, accompanied by a number of cavaliers. 
They rushed into the fight, shouting, ' ' San 
Juan! San Juan!" and began to deal such 
sturdy blows as savored more of the camp than 
of the cloister. Great and fierce was this strug- 
gle between cowl and turban. The ground 
was strewn with bodies of the infidels ; but the 
Christians were a mere handful among a mul- 
titude. A burly friar, commander of Sietefilla, 
was struck to the earth, and his shaven head 
cleft by a blow of a scimeitar ; several squires 
and cavaliers, to the number of twenty, fell 
covered with wounds ; yet still the stout prior 
and his brethren continued fighting with des- 
perate fury, shouting incessantly, " San Juan ! 
San Juan ! ' ' and dealing their blows with as 
good heart as they had ever dealt benedictions 
on their followers. 

The noise of this skirmish, and the holy 
shouts of the fighting friars, resounded through 



352 Spanteb papers 



the camp. The alarm was given : " The Prior 
of San Juan is surrounded by the enemy ! To 
the rescue ! to the rescue ! ' ' The whole Chris- 
tian host was in agitation, but none were so 
alert as those holy warriors of the Church, 
Don Garcia, Bishop of Cordova, and Don San- 
cho, Bishop of Coria. Hastily summoning 
their vassals, horse and foot, they bestrode 
their steeds, with cuirass over cassock, and 
lance instead of crosier, and set off at full gal- 
lop to the rescue of their brother saints. When 
the Moors saw the warrior bishops and their 
retainers scouring to the field, they gave over 
the contest, and leaving the prior and his com- 
panions, they drew off towards the city. Their 
retreat was soon changed to a headlong flight ; 
for the bishops, not content with rescuing the 
prior, continued in pursuit of his assailants. 
The Moorish foot-soldiers were soon over- 
taken and either slaughtered or made pris- 
oners ; nor did the horsemen make good their 
retreat into the city until the powerful arm of 
the Church had visited their rear with pious 
vengeance.* Nor did the chastisement of 
Heaven end here. The stout prior of the hos- 
pital, being once aroused, was full of ardor and 
enterprise. Concerting with the Prince Don 
Enrique, and the Masters of Calatrava and Al- 
* Cronica General \ pt. 4, p. 338. 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 353 



cantara, and the valiant Lorenzo Xuarez, they 
made a sudden assault by night on the suburb 
of Seville called Benaljofar, and broke their way 
into it with fire and sword. The Moors were 
roused from their sleep by the flames of their 
dwellings and the shouts of the Christians. 
There was hard and bloody fighting. The prior 
of the hospital, with his valiant friars, was in the 
fiercest of the action, and their war-cry of " San 
Juan ! San Juan ! " was heard in all parts of 
the suburb. Many houses were burnt, many 
sacked, many Moors slain or taken prisoners, 
and the Christian knights and warrior friars, 
having gathered together a great cavalgada of 
the flocks and herds which were in the suburb, 
drove it off in triumph to the camp, by the 
light of the blazing dwellings. 

A like inroad was made by the prior and the 
same cavaliers, a few nights afterwards, into 
the suburb called Macarena, which they laid 
waste in like manner, bearing off wealthy 
spoils. Such was the pious vengeance which 
the Moors brought upon themseives by med- 
dling with the kine of the stout prior of the 
hospital. 
23 




Chapter £ WHIT. 

Bravado of the Three Cavaliers — Ambush at the Bridge 
over the Guadayra — Desperate Valor of Garci Perez 
— Grand Attempt of Admiral Bonifaz on the Bridge 
of Boats — Seville Dismembered from Triana. 

OF all the Christian cavaliers who distin- 
guished themselves in this renowned 
siege of Seville, there was none who 
surpassed in valor the bold Garci 
Perez de Vargas. This hardy knight was 
truly enamoured of danger, and like a gamester 
with his gold, he seemed to have no pleasure 
of his life except in putting it in constant jeop- 
ardy. One of the greatest friends of Garci 
Perez was Don Iyorenzo Xuarez Gallinato, the 
same who had boasted of the valor of Garci 
Perez at the time that he exposed himself to be 
attacked by seven Moorish horsemen. They 
were not merely companions, but rivals in 
arms ; for in this siege it was the custom 

354 






tfernanfco tbe Saint 355 



among the Christian knights to vie with each 
other in acts of daring enterprise. 

One morning, as Garci Perez, Don Lorenzo 
Xuarez, and a third cavalier, named Alfonso 
Tello, were on horseback, patrolling the skirts 
of the camp, a friendly contest rose between 
them as to who was most adventurous in arms. 
To settle the question, it was determined to 
put the proof to the Moors, by going alone and 
striking the points of their lances in the gate 
of the city. 

No sooner was this mad bravado agreed upon 
than they turned the reins of their horses and 
made for Seville. The Moorish sentinels, from 
the towers of the gate, saw three Christian 
V nights advancing over the plain, and supposed 
them to be messengers or deserters from the 
army. When the cavaliers drew near, each 
struck his lance against the gate, and wheeling 
round, put spurs to his horse and retreated. 
The Moors, considering this a scornful de- 
fiance, were violently exasperated, and sallied 
forth in great numbers to revenge the insult. 
They soon were hard on the traces of the 
Christian cavaliers. The first who turned to 
fight with them was Alfonso Tello, being of a 
fiery and impatient spirit. The second was 
Garci Perez ; the third was Don I y orenzo, who 
waited until the Moors came up with them, 



356 Spanish papers 



when he braced his shield, couched his lance, 
and took the whole brunt of their charge. A 
desperate light took place, for though the 
Moors were overwhelming in number, the cav- 
aliers were three of the most valiant warriors in 
Spain. The conflict was beheld from the camp. 
The alarm was given ; the Christian cavaliers 
hastened to the rescue of their companions in 
arms ; squadron after squadron pressed to the 
field, the Moors poured out reinforcements from 
the gate ; in this way a general battle ensued, 
which lasted a great part of the day, until the 
Moors were vanquished and driven within their 
walls. 

There was one of the gates of Seville, called 
the gate of the Alcazar, which led out to a 
small bridge over the Guadayra. Out of this 
gate the Moors used to make frequent sallies, 
to fall suddenly upon the Christian camp, or to 
sweep off the flocks and herds about its out- 
skirts, and then to scour back to the bridge, 
beyond which it was dangerous to pursue them. 

The defense of this part of the camp was 
intrusted to those two valiant compeers in 
arms, Garci Perez de Vargas and Don Lorenzo 
Xuarez ; and they determined to take ample 
revenge upon the Moors for all the depreda- 
tions they had committed. They chose, there- 
fore, about two hundred hardy cavaliers, the 



ffernanDo tbe Saint 357 



flower of those seasoned warriors on the oppo- 
site side of the Guadalquivir, who formed the 
little army of the good Master of Santiago. 
When they were all assembled together, Don 
Lorenzo put them in ambush, in the way by 
which the Moors were accustomed to pass in 
their maraudings, and he instructed them, in 
pursuing the Moors, to stop at the bridge, and 
by no means to pass beyond it ; for between it 
and the city there was a great host of the 
enemy, and the bridge was so narrow that to 
retreat over it would be perilous in the extreme. 
This order was given to all, but was particu- 
larly intended for Garci Perez, to restrain his 
daring spirit, which was ever apt to run into 
peril. 

They had not been long in ambush when 
they heard the distant tramp of the enemy upon 
the bridge, and found that the Moors were 
upon the forage. They kept concealed, and 
the Moors passed by them in careless and irregu- 
lar manner, as men apprehending no danger. 
Scarce had they gone by when the cavaliers 
rushed forth, charged into the midst of them, 
and threw them all into confusion. Many were 
killed or overthrown in the shock, the rest took 
to flight, and made at full speed for the bridge. 
Most of the Christian soldiers, according to or- 
ders, stopped at the bridge ; but Don Lorenzo, 



358 Spanisb papers 



with a few of his cavaliers, followed the enemy 
half-way across, making great havoc in that 
narrow pass. Many of the Moors, in their 
panic, flung themselves from the bridge, and 
perished in the Guadayra ; others were cut 
down and trampled under the hoofs of friends 
and foes. Don Lorenzo, in the heat of the 
fight, cried aloud incessantly, defying the 
Moors, and proclaiming his name: "Turn 
hither ! turn hither ! 'T is I, Lorenzo Xuarez ! ' ' 
But few of the Moors cared to look him in the 
face. 

Don Lorenzo now returned to his cavaliers, 
but on looking round, Garci Perez was not to 
be seen. All were dismayed, fearing some evil 
fortune had befallen him ; when, on casting 
their eyes beyond the bridge, they saw him on 
the opposite side, surrounded by Moors and 
fighting with desperate valor. 

"Garci Perez has deceived us," said Don 
Lorenzo, ' ' and has passed the bridge, contrary 
to agreement. But to the rescue, comrades ! 
never let it be said that so good a cavalier as 
Garci Perez was lost for want of our assistance. ' ' 
So saying, they all put spurs to their horses, 
rushed again upon the bridge, and broke their 
way across, cutting down and overturning the 
Moors, and driving great numbers to fling them- 
selves into the river. When the Moors who 



afernanDo tbe Saint 359 



had surrounded Garci Perez saw this band of 
cavaliers rushing from the bridge, they turned 
to defend themselves. The contest was fierce, 
but broken ; many of the Moors took refuge in 
the river, but the Christians followed and slew 
them among the waves. They continued fight- 
ing for the remainder of the day, quite up to 
the gate of the Alcazar ; and if the chronicles 
of the times speak with their usual veracity, 
full three thousand infidels bit the dust on that 
occasion. When Don Iyorenzo returned to the 
camp, and was in presence of the king and of 
numerous cavaliers, great encomiums were 
passed upon his valor ; but he modestly replied 
that Garci Perez had that day made them good 
soldiers by force. 

From that time forward the Moors attempted 
no further inroads into the camp, so severe a 
lesson had they received from these brave 
cavaliers.* 

The city of Seville was connected with the 
suburb of Triana by a strong bridge of boats, 
fastened together by massive chains of iron. 
By this bridge a constant communication was 
kept up between Triana and the city, and 
mutual aid and support passed and repassed. 

* Cronica General de Espana y pt. 4. Cronica del 
Rey Fernando el Santo, c. 60. Corona Gotica, t. 3, 
p. 126. 



360 Spanisb papers 



While this bridge remained, it was impossible 
to complete the investment of the city, or to 
capture the castle of Triana. 

The bold Admiral Bonifaz at length con- 
ceived a plan to break this bridge asunder, and 
thus to cut off all communication between the 
city and Triana. No sooner had this idea en- 
tered his mind than he landed, and proceeded 
with great speed to the royal tent, to lay it be- 
fore the king. Then a consultation was sum- 
moned by the king of ancient mariners and 
artificers of ships, and other persons learned in 
maritime affairs ; and after Admiral Bonifaz 
had propounded his plan, it was thought to be 
good, and all preparations were made to carry 
it into effect. The admiral took two of his 
largest and strongest ships, and fortified them 
at the prows with solid timber and with plates 
of iron ; and he put within them a great num- 
ber of chosen men, well armed and provided 
with everything for attack and defense. Of 
one he took the command himself. It was the 
third day of May, the day of the most Holy 
Cross, that he chose for this grand and perilous 
attempt ; and the pious King Fernando, to in- 
sure success, ordered that a cross should be 
carried as a standard at the masthead of each 
ship. 

On the third of May, towards the hour 



jfernanDo tbe Saint 361 



of noon, the two ships descended the Guadal- 
quivir for some distance, to gain room to come 
up with the greater violence. Here they waited 
the rising of the tide, and as soon as it was in 
full force, and a favorable wind had sprung up 
from the sea, they hoisted anchor, spread all 
sail, and put themselves in the midst of the 
current. The whole shores were lined on each 
side with Christian troops, watching the event 
with great anxiety. The king and the Prince 
Alfonso, with their warriors, on the one side 
had drawn close to the city to prevent the 
sallying forth of the Moors, while the good 
Master of Santiago, Don Pelayo Perez Correa, 
kept watch upon the gates of Triana. The 
Moors crowded the tops of their towers, their 
walls, and house-tops, and prepared engines 
and weapons of all kinds to overwhelm the 
ships with destruction. 

Twice the bold admiral set all sail and started 
on his career, and twice the wind died away 
before he had proceeded half his course. 
Shouts of joy and derision rose from the walls 
and towers of Seville, while the warriors in the 
ships began to fear that their attempt would be 
unsuccessful. At length a fresh and strong 
wind arose that swelled every sail and sent the 
ships ploughing up the waves of the Guadal- 
quivir. A dead silence prevailed among the 



362 Spantsb papers 



hosts on either bank, even the Moors remained 
silent, in fixed and breathless suspense. When 
the ships arrived within reach of the walls of 
the city and the suburbs, a tremendous attack 
was commenced from every wall and tower; 
great engines discharged stones and offensive 
weapons of all kinds, and flaming pots of Greek 
fire. On the tower of gold were stationed 
catapults and vast cross-bow r s that were worked 
with cranks, and from hence an iron shower 
was rained upon the ships. The Moors in 
Triana were equally active ; from every wall 
and turret, from house-tops, and from the 
banks of the river, an incessant assault was 
kept up with catapults, cross-bows, slings, 
darts, and everything that could annoy. 
Through all this tempest of war, the ships kept 
on their course. The first ship which arrived 
struck the bridge on the part towards Triana. 
The shock resounded from shore to shore, the 
whole fabric trembled, the ship recoiled and 
reeled, but the bridge was unbroken ; and 
shouts of joy rose from the Moors on each side 
of the river. Immediately after came the ship 
of the admiral. It struck the bridge just about 
the centre with a tremendous crash. The iron 
chains which bound the boats together snapped 
as if they had been flax. The boats were 
crushed and shattered and flung wide asunder, 



ffernan&o tbe Saint 



363 



and the ship of the admiral proceeded in tri- 
umph through the open space. No sooner did 
the king and the Prince Alfonso see the suc- 
cess of the admiral, than they pressed with 
their troops closely round the city, and pre- 
vented the Moors from sallying forth ; while 
the ships, having accomplished their enterprise, 
extricated themselves from their dangerous 
situation, and returned in triumph to their ac- 
customed anchorage. This was the fatal blow 
that dismembered Seville from Triana, and in- 
sured the downfall of the city. 




^g^^^^^^^^^^^g^^^ > 




(^^^ ^^^^^^ 



Cbapter f 1Ff. 

Investment of Triana — Garci Perez and the Infanzon. 

ON the day after the breaking of the 
bridge, the king, the Prince Alfonso, 
the Prince Enrique, the various mas- 
ters of the orders, and a great part 
of the army, crossed the Guadalquivir and com- 
menced an attack on Triana, while the bold 
Admiral Bonifaz approached with his ships 
and assaulted the place from the water. But 
the Christian army was unprovided with lad- 
ders or machines for the attack, and fought to 
great disadvantage. The Moors, from the safe 
shelter of their walls and towers, rained a shower 
of missiles of all kinds. As they were so high 
above the Christians, their arrows, darts, and 
lances came with the greater force. They were 
skilful with the cross-bow, and had engines of 
such force that the darts which they discharged 
would sometimes pass through a cavalier all 
armed, and bury themselves in the earth.* 
* Cronica General, pt. 4, p. 341. 
364 



jpernanDo tbe Saint 365 



The very women combated from the walls, 
and hurled down stones that crushed the war- 
riors beneath. 

While the army was closely investing Triana, 
and fierce encounters were daily taking place 
between Moor and Christian, there arrived at 
the camp a youthful Infanzon, or noble, of 
proud lineage. He brought with him a shining 
train of vassals, all newly armed and appointed, 
and his own armor, all fresh and lustrous, 
showed none of the dents and bruises and 
abuses of the war. As this gay and gorgeous 
cavalier was patrolling the camp, with several 
cavaliers, he beheld Garci Perez pass by, in 
armor and accoutrements all worn and soiled 
by the hard service he had performed, and he 
saw a similar device to his own, of white waves, 
emblazoned on the scutcheon of this unknown 
warrior. Then the nobleman was highly ruf- 
fled and incensed, and he exclaimed. ' ' How is 
this ? who is this sorry cavalier that dares to 
bear these devices? By my faith, he must 
either give them up or show his reasons for 
usurping them." The other cavaliers ex- 
claimed : " Be cautious how you speak ; this is 
Garci Perez ; a braver cavalier wears not sword 
in Spain. For all he goes thus modestly and 
quietly about, he is a very lion in the field, nor 
does he assume anything that he cannot well 



366 Spanisb papers 



maintain. Should he hear this which you 
have said, trust us he would not rest quiet until 
he had terrible satisfaction." 

Now so it happened that certain mischief- 
makers carried word to Garci Perez of what 
the nobleman had said, expecting to see him 
burst into fierce indignation, and defy the 
other to the field. But Garci Perez remained 
tranquil, and said not a word. 

Within a day or two after, there was a sally 
from the castle of Triana and a hot skirmish 
between the Moors and Christians ; and Garci 
Perez and the Infanzon and a number of cav- 
aliers pursued the Moors up to the barriers of 
the castle. Here the enemy rallied and made 
a fierce defense, and killed several of the 
cavaliers. But Garci Perez put spurs to his 
horse, and, couching his lance, charged among 
the thickest of the foes, and, followed by a 
handful of his companions, drove the Moors 
to the very gates of Triana. The Moors, 
seeing how few were their pursuers turned 
upon them, and dealt bravely with sword and 
lance and mace, while stones and darts and 
arrows were rained down from the towers 
above the gates. At length the Moors took 
refuge within the walls, leaving the field to the 
victorious cavaliers. Garci Perez drew off 
coolly and calmly amidst a shower of missiles 



ffernanfco tbe Saint 367 



from the wall. He came out of the battle with 
his armor all battered and defaced ; his helmet 
bruised, the crest broken off, and his buckler 
so dented and shattered that the device could 
scarcely be perceived. On returning to the 
barrier, he found there the Infanzon, with his 
armor all uninjured, and his armorial bearing 
as fresh as if just emblazoned, for the vaunting 
warrior had not ventured beyond the barrier. 
Then Garci Perez drew near to the Infanzon, 
and eying him from head to foot, ' * Senor cava- 
lier," he said, " you may well dispute my 
right to wear this honorable device in my 
shield, since you see I take so little care of it 
that it is almost destroyed. You, on the other 
hand, are worthy of bearing it. You are the 
guardian angel of honor, since you guard it so 
carefully as to put it to no risk. I will only 
observe to you that the sword kept in the 
scabbard rusts, and the valor that is never put 
to the proof becomes sullied."* 

At these words the Infanzon was deeply 
humiliated, for he saw that Garci Perez had 
heard of his empty speeches, and he felt how 
unworthily he had spoken of so valiant and 
magnanimous a cavalier. " Senor cavalier," 
he said, " pardon my ignorance and presump- 
tion ; you alone are worthy of bearing those 

* Cronica General, pt. 4. Corona Gotica, t. 3, \ 16. 



368 



Spanisb papers 



arms, for you derive not nobility from them, 
but ennoble them by your glorious deeds. ' ' 

Then Garci Perez blushed at the praises he 
had thus drawn upon himself, and he regretted 
the harshness of his words toward the Infan- 
zon, and he not merely pardoned him all that 
had passed, but gave him his hand in pledge 
of amity, and from that time they were close 
friends and companions in arms.* 

* Cronica General, pt. 4. Cronica del Rey Santo. 
Corona Gotica, t. 3, \ 16. 





Cbapter £ £ . 

Capitulation of Seville — Dispersion of the Moorish 
Inhabitants — Triumphant Kntry of King Fernando. 

ABOUT this time there arrived in Seville 
a Moorish alfaqui, named Orias, with 
a large company of warriors, who 
came to this war as if performing a 
pilgrimage, for it was considered a holy war no 
less by infidels than Christians. This Orias 
was of a politic and crafty nature, and he sug- 
gested to the commander of Seville a stratagem 
by which they might get Prince Alfonso in 
their power, and compel King Fernando to 
raise the siege by way of ransom. The coun- 
sel of Orias was adopted, after a consultation 
with the principal cavaliers, and measures 
taken to carry it into execution ; a Moor was 
sent, therefore, as if secretly and by stealth, to 
Prince Alfonso, and oifered to put him in pos- 
session of two towers of the wall, if he would 

24 369 



37o Spantsb papers 



come in person to receive them, which towers 
once in his possession, it would be easy to over- 
power the city. 

Prince Alfonso listened to the envoy with 
seeming eagerness, but suspected some deceit, 
and thought it unwise to put his person in 
such jeopardy. L,est, however, there should 
be truth in his proposals, a party of chosen 
cavaliers were sent as if to take possession of 
the towers, and with them was Don Pero 
Nunez de Guzman, disguised as the prince. 

When they came to the place where the 
Moors had appointed to meet them, they be- 
held a party of infidels strongly armed, who 
advanced with sinister looks, and attempted to 
surround Don Nunez, but he, being on his 
guard, put spurs to his horse, and, break- 
ing through the midst of them, escaped. His 
companions followed his example, all but one, 
who was struck from his horse and cut to 
pieces by the Moors.* 

Just after this event there arrived a great 
reinforcement to the camp from the city of 
Cordova, bringing provisions and various 
munitions of war. Finding his army thus 
increased, the king had a consultation with 
Admiral Bonifaz, and determined completely 
to cut off all communication between Seville 
* Cronica General, pt. 4, p. 424. 






jfernanfco the- Saint 371 



and Triana, for the Moors still crossed the 
river occasionally by fording. When they 
were about to carry their plan into effect, 
the crafty Alfaqui Orias crossed to Triana, 
accompanied by a number of Ganzules. He 
was charged with instructions to the garri- 
son, and to concert some mode of reuniting 
their forces, or of effecting some blow upon the 
Christian camp ; for unless they could effect a 
union and co-operation, it would be impossible 
to make much longer resistance. 

Scarce had Orias passed, when the Christian 
sentinels gave notice. Upon this, a detach- 
ment of the Christian army immediately 
crossed and took possession of the opposite 
shore, and Admiral Bonifaz stationed his fleet 
in the middle of the river. Thus the return 
of Orias was prevented, and all intercourse be- 
tween the places, even by messenger, com- 
pletely interrupted. The city and Triana were 
now severally attacked, and unable to render 
each other assistance. The Moors were daily 
diminishing in number ; many slain in battle, 
many taken captive, and many dying of hun- 
ger and disease. The Christian forces were 
daily augmenting, and were animated by 
continual success, whereas mutiny and sedi- 
tion began to break out among the inhabitants 
of the city. The Moorish commander, Axataf, 



372 Spantsb papers 



therefore, seeing all further resistance vain, 
sent ambassadors to capitulate with King 
Fernando. It was a hard and humiliating 
struggle to resign this fair city, the queen of 
Andalusia, the seat of Moorish sway and 
splendor, and which had been under Moorish 
domination ever since the Conquest. 

The valiant Axataf endeavored to make 
various conditions ; that King Fernando should 
raise the siege on receiving the tribute which 
had hitherto been paid to the miramamolin. 
This being peremptorily refused, he offered 
to give up a third of the city, and then half, 
building at his own cost a wall to divide the 
Moorish part from the Christian. King Fer- 
nando, however, would listen to no such terms. 
He demanded the entire surrender of the place, 
with the exception of the persons and effects 
of the inhabitants, and permitting the com- 
mander to retain possession of St. L,ucar, 
Aznal Farache, and Niebla. The commander 
of Seville saw the sword suspended over his 
head, and had to submit ; the capitulations of 
the surrender were signed, when Axataf made 
one last request, that he might be permitted to 
demolish the grand mosque and the principal 
tower (or giralda} of the city.* He felt that 
these would remain perpetual monuments of 
* Mariana, 1. 13, c. 7. 



jFernanfco tbe Saint 373 



his disgrace. The Prince Alfonso was present 
when this last demand was made, and his 
father looked at him significantly, as if he de- 
sired the reply to come from his lips. The 
prince rose indignantly and exclaimed, that if 
there should be a single tile missing from the 
temple, or a single brick from the tower, it 
should be paid by so many lives that the 
streets of Seville should run with blood. The 
Moors were silenced by this reply, and pre- 
pared with heavy hearts to fulfil the capitula- 
tion. One month was allowed them for the 
purpose, the alcazar, or citadel, of Seville being 
given up to the Christians as a security. 

On the twenty-third day of November this 
important fortress was surrendered, after a 
siege of eighteen months. A deputation of 
the principal Moors came forth and presented 
King Fernando with the keys of the city ; at 
the same time the aljamia, or council of the 
Jews, presented him with the key of Jewry, 
the quarter of the city which they inhabited. 
This key was notable for its curious workman- 
ship. It was formed of all kinds of metals. 
The guards of it were wrought into letters, 
bearing the following signification: "God 
will open — the king will enter. ' ' On the ring 
was inscribed in Hebrew: " The King of 
kings will enter ; all the world will behold 



374 Spanieb papers 



him." This key is still preserved in the ca- 
thedral of Seville, in the place where repose 
the remains of the sainted King Fernando.* 

During the month of grace the Moors sold 
such of their effects as they could not carry 
with them, and the king provided vessels for 
such as chose to depart for Africa. Upwards 
of one hundred thousand, it is said, were thus 
convoyed by Admiral Bonifaz, while upwards 
of two hundred thousand dispersed themselves 
throughout such of the territory of Andalusia 
as still remained in possession of the Moors. 

When the month was expired, and the city 
was evacuated by its Moorish inhabitants, 
King Fernando the Saint entered in solemn 
triumph, in a grand religious and military 
procession. There were all the captains and 
cavaliers of the army, in shining armor, with 
the prelates, and masters of the religious and 
military orders, and the nobility of Castile 
L,eon, and Aragon, in their richest apparel. 
The streets resounded with the swelling notes 

* In Castile, whenever the kings entered any place 
where there was a synagogue, the Jews assembled in 
council and paid to the Monteros, or bull-fighters, 
twelve maravedis each, to guard them, that they should 
receive no harm from the Christians ; being held in 
such contempt and odium, that it was necessary they 
should be under the safeguard of the king, not to be 
injured or insulted. — Zuniga, Annates de Sevilla, 



tfernanfco tbe Saint 



375 



of martial music and with the joyous accla- 
mations of the multitude. 

In the midst of the procession was the ven- 
erable effigy of the most Holy Mary, on a 
triumphal car of silver, wrought with admira- 
ble skill ; and immediately after followed the 
pious king, with a drawn sword in his hand, 
and on his left was Prince Alfonso and the 
other princes. 

The procession advanced to the principal 
mosque, which had been purified and conse- 
crated as a Christian temple, where the tri- 
uniphal car of the Holy Virgin was placed at 
the grand altar. Here the pious king knelt 
and returned thanks to Heaven and the Virgin 
for this signal victory, and all present chanted 
Te Deum Laudamus. 





Cbapter ££f. 

Death of King Fernando. 

WHEN King Fernando had regulated 
everything for the good govern- 
ment and prosperity of Seville, he 
sallied forth with his conquering 
army to subdue the surrounding country. He 
soon brought under subjection Xerez, Medina 
Sidonia, Alua, Bepel, and many other places 
near the sea-coast ; some surrendered volun- 
tarily, others were taken by force ; he main- 
tained a strict peace with his vassal the king 
of Granada, but finding not sufficient scope for 
his arms in Spain, and being inflamed with a 
holy zeal in the cause of the faith, he deter- 
mined to pass over into Africa, and retaliate 
upon the Moslems their daring invasion of his 
country. For this purpose he ordered a power- 
ful armada to be prepared in the ports of Canta- 
bria, to be put under the command of the bold 
Admiral Bonifaz. 

376 



jfernanfco tbe Saint 377 



In the midst of his preparations, which 
spread consternation throughout Mauritania, 
the pious king fell dangerously ill at Seville of 
a dropsy. When he found his dying hour 
approaching, he made his death -bed confession, 
and requested the holy Sacrament to be admin- 
istered to him. A train of bishops and other 
clergy, among whom was his son Philip, Arch- 
bishop of Seville, brought the Sacrament into 
his presence. The king rose from his bed, 
threw himself on his knees, with a rope round 
his neck and a crucifix in his hand, and poured 
forth his soul in penitence and prayer. Hav- 
ing received the viatica and the holy Sacrament, 
he commanded all ornaments of royalty to be 
taken from his chamber. He assembled his 
children round his bedside, and blessed his son 
the Prince Alfonso, as his first-born and the 
heir of his throne, giving him excellent advice 
for the government of his kingdom, and char- 
ging him to protect the interests of his brethren. 
The pious king afterwards fell into an ecstasy 
or trance, in which he beheld angels watching 
round his bed to bear his soul to heaven. He 
awoke from this state of heavenly rapture, and, 
asking for a candle, he took it in his hand and 
made his ultimate profession of the faith. He 
then requested the clergy present to repeat the 
litanies, and to chant the Te Deum Laudamus. 



378 Spanisb papers 



In chanting the first verse of the hymn, the 
king gently inclined his head, with perfect 
serenity of countenance, and rendered up his 
spirit. " The hymn," says the ancient chron- 
icle, " which was begun on earth by men, was 
continued by the voices of angels, which were 
heard by all present. ' ' These doubtless were 
the angels whom the king in his ecstasy had 
beheld around his couch, who now accom- 
panied him, in his glorious ascent to heaven, 
with songs of holy triumph. Nor was it in his 
chamber alone that these voices were heard 
but in all the royal alcazars of Seville, the sweet- 
est voices were heard in the air and seraphic 
music, as of angelic choirs, at the moment 
that the sainted king expired.* He died on 
the 30th of May, the vespers of the Holy 
Trinity, in the year of the Incarnation one 
thousand two hundred and forty-two, aged 
seventy-three years — having reigned thirty-five 
years over Castile and twenty over I^eon. 

Two days after his death he was interred in 
his royal chapel in the Holy Church, in a 
sepulchre of alabaster, which still remains. It 
is asserted by grave authors that at the time of 
putting his body in the sepulchre, the choir of 

* Pablo de Espinosa, Grandesas de Sevilla y fol. 146. 
Cronica del Santo Rey> 78. Corona Gotica y t. 3, p. 
166. 



ffernanOo tbe Saint 379 



angels again was heard chanting his eulogium, 
and filling the air with sweet melody in praise 
of his virtues.* 

When Alhamar, the Moorish King of Grana- 
da, heard of his death, he caused great demon- 
strations of mourning to be made throughout 
his dominions. During his life he sent yearly 
a number of Moors with one hundred wax 
tapers, to assist at his exequies, which cere- 
mony was observed by his successors, until 
the time of the conquest of Granada by Fer- 
nando the Catholic, f 

* Argoti de Molina, Nobleza de Andaluzia, 1. i, c. 
21. Tomas Bocio, Signales de la Iglesia, 1. 29. Don 
Rodrigo Sanchez, Bishop of Palencia, pt. 3, c. 40. 

f Pablo de Espinosa, fol. 146. 

THK KND. 




AUG 25 1904 



